Silver Dusk
by Tenshi of the Dark
Summary: Forced to renounce her old life and involved in a war against her friends, Jaime wishes more than ever that she was never the daughter of a Titan, that she had never found herself the relunctant leader plotting the god's downfall, and tht she had never found herself falling for the enemy-a certain prince of the underworld, Nico. SEQUEL TO BLACK DAWN.
1. Fights and Flying Swords

**_W_hat's up, people? May I present the sequel to The Black Dawn. I hope that my updating for this one will be more regular than the old one. **

**I do not own Percy Jackson in any way.**

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"Get up." The look in her eyes was less than respectful, as though I were scum beneath her feet. I groaned, sitting on the ground while her mouth jammed together in irritation. She crossed the space between us, hauling me roughly to my feet where I had sprawled against the throne Kronos would sit upon.

"I can get up myself," I snapped. Rowan stared at me with doubtful eyes but released my arm as though it burned. Humiliated, angry and beaten, I pushed myself from the floor. Blood fell from the wound she'd inflicted on my arm, falling to the ground. I panted while she crossed her arms, not even noticing the scratches and bruises I'd managed to make on her face.

"You've improved since you first come here," She said, as though it were a critique. "Though you're still slow. I suppose it's only to be expected, after all." She sniffed in distain, her hatred toward me not having lessened since the three months I'd been here.

"Thanks." I said sourly, hating that I still couldn't manage to beat her. She nodded curtly to me and bowed from the waist up, clearly hating that fact that she had to bow to me. It made me uncomfortable, the way monsters bowed when I walked in even though it was clear that they hated me. I watched Rowan walk away, her hair running down her back like a black waterfall. Not once did she look my way. The door opened and closed before I could blink, not that I minded.

I hated sparring with Rowan. Even though she was forbidden from using her whip against me, it didn't make that much better when she used a regular sword like me. Of cours, she used this time to get her revenge at me. At first, she beat me every single day, whipping me until I was black and blue. My desperation to stay alive and my anger and frusteratio at the entire thing made me fight back, and it wasn't long before we were on even footing.

Even then, I still couldn't manage to win against her. Every time I saw her, saw the monsters bow to me, saw the shirts of dead halfbloods they brought back with them, it made my heart feel heavy. I hadn't forgotten my friends I'd left behind. Whenever I thought of them , my heart twisted and tears stung at my eyes. Kronos didn't like it when I mentioned them, so I didn't.

After the first week, I'd learned to stay on my guard and do what Kronos had asked me to do. I battled Rowan, I practiced the ability to freeze time with Luke and Kronos. And after a while, it felt natural to do so. It was something that had to be done, and any desire to run away had long since left me. Even if I were to go back to Camp Half Blood, they campers would think that I was the enemy and kill me.

So despite the aching hole in my heart, I forgot about Nico. He was the reason I was here, and the reason that I didn't want to leave...I tried to convince myself that I'd done the right thing. But was it right if it hurt him? I swallowed thickly, leaning against the throne just as the door opened again.

I sat up straight. Luke entered the room, hands shoved in his pockets. He scowled at me as a way of greeting and sat down next to me. As surprising as it was, he was my only comfort these past few months. he was surprisingly easy to talk about, and on those rare occasions I managed to warm him up enough, he would tell me outrageous stories that made me laugh until my sides were aching.

"Hey, Luke," I greeted. He nodded, not answering me. I frowned at his silence. "Luke, what's the matter?"

"None of your business." He snapped, his tone as clipped and icy as the first time I'd spoken to him. "Leave me alone."

"You came here," I pointed out. "Anyway, what's going on?" It wasn't just him that had started to act like this. The monsters had grown in numbers and the demigods had started acting somewhat fearful about it. More than once, I'd caught Rowan staring after Luke with an unreadable expression on her face.

"None of your business." He repeated, though he lowered his arms from his face so I could see him. His eyes were cloudy, his hair waving down to his forehead and down his back. Sweat matted them against his forehead. His cheeks were red, his arms trembled.

Distracted, I reached a hand out. "Luke, are you okay? You look really pale." He waved my arm away, causing me to frown. I couldn't pretend like it didn't hurt me, because it did. "What is it, don't want me to touch you?"

"I'm fine," He snapped, though even his tone lacked its usual malice. Now, it just sounded dejected and lifeless. He stood, towering over me with his lanky stature. "Now, are you ready?"

"Sure," I said. I stood up as well, brushing stray hair away from my face. Luke stood before me, rubbing at his eyes as though he had just woken up and drew out his sword. I backed away nervously. Even though I knew he would never actually hit me, it was still hard to stand before him, defenseless while he took a swing at me with his sword.

"Ready...go." He threw his sword at me instead of lunging forward himself. I was so scared, I couldn't think properly. "JAIME!" Luke shouted to me. His angered cry was enough for me to come to my senses. I cringed away from the knife, wishing it would go awy. It clattered to the floor as I ducked, imbedding itself in the marble floor as though it were butter."You tried to kill me," I gasped. I stared at his sword with anger and numb shock. I repeated with growing anger. "You just tried to _kill_ me!" While I panicked, Luke walked past me calmly and drew his sword away from the broken floor.

"No, I didn't," He said calmly. "I told you to get ready. Why didn't you freeze it?" The way he spoke about it made me flush angrily. He spoke to me like a child, though he was only a little older than me.

"I-I didn't know that you would throw it at me," I defended myself."You usually attack me head one, not just with a sword. Excuse me for thinking you were trying to behead me." He turned a disbelieving eye at me, and I flushed angrily. In one of his better moods, he'd once teased that I was like a little kid to him, pouting when things didn't go my way.

"You're excused," He said in answer to my comment. I stared at him in disbelief as a small, coy smile took place around his face. My smile was just as timid and I took a small breath before standing back up.

"Okay, I think I'm ready now." When Luke hitched an eyebrow at me, I made a face. "I'm fine. Now, come on." He sighed, but he threw his sword at me anyway.

"Never mind. I lied; I'm not ready." I said, panicked. But the sword was already in motion, arching toward me. I groaned internally, but tried to tap into that...something inside me that made it possible for me to freeze things.

It's kind of hard to explain it but, it feels like there's pressure inside my stomach, building up. When I release it, it's like being punched in the gut by a boxer. And the bigger the something is that I'm trying to freeze, the more pressure it is for me, and the longer I have to hold it, the more toll it takes on me. I don't even need direct eye contact anymore. But, there are some things that are impossible for me to do.

For example, if I tried to freeze a Titan, I would burn myself up. Fun.

When I manage to tear my eyes away from a spot on the ground, the sword froze in front of me. I breathed in a sigh of relief, then I sat down without bothering to unfreeze it. Luke snorted, then sarcastically clapped his hands. I bowed from the waist up.

"Very good," He said mockingly, "It only took you three months to do it right." I scowled at him.

"You try controlling something you can't hold on to, and then try to make it do what you want," I complained, "Then, you try to make it hold something without freezing anything. When you can do that, then you can try-,"

"I get it," Luke said, cutting off my words lazily, "You complain a lot, you know that?"

I glared at him before snarling out, "Thanks so much, I wonder exactly what I have to complain about."

His smile faded slightly as he realized what I was talking about. He, of all the people here, knew about how scared I was to be here. The monsters and some of the Titans resentd me because they had to follow my orders. The demigods were frightened by me, and none of them spoke to me freely. My life here was miserable. There was nothing about this place that I wouldn't be willing to trade away.

The corridors were always dimly lit, the dark walls and dark expressions of everyone a constant thorn at my side. It was obvious that nobody liked me, but out of fear and respect for Kronos, they listened to me. In battle, I knew none of them would hesitate to strike me in the back if they thought they could get away from it. As it was, one man had tried to kill me, two weeks into my stay here.

Rowan had killed him, under orders of Kronos. The rest of the demigods had been forced to watch, and since then, they've kept their space from me. No doubt may of them were cursing me under their breath.

The only person who made my stay here bearable was Luke, but his days were numbered. In a short while, I knew, Kronos would take over so he could begin the invasion. The idea of Luke turning into my father scared me to death. I didn't want to lose my only friend, the only one I could talk to, the only one who made me laugh here.

It would be as painful as losing Nico.

Nico...

"Hey, are you okay?" Luke started forward, gripping my arms. I gasped, sagging against him. The pain in my chest lashed out at me, screaming for this man to release me so I could go find Nico and beg for him to come back. It had been a mistake to think about him. Even thinking his name released all the pent up emotions I'd pushed in the back of my mind, held together lock and key.

I gasped, stuffing my knuckles into my mouth so I wouldn't full out start to cry. I didn't want anyone to see me about to cry. I wouldn't give anyone here that satisfation. It would mark me as a weakling, and as a disgrace to Kronos. It was only through his protection that I was alive.

I took a deep breath, a shuddering whimper and pulled away from Luke. "I'm fine, just...just lost in thought."

He frowned but nodded his agreement. A shadow crossed his face at something, passing so quickly I couldn't be sure that I'd seen it clearly. It was over in a second, then he was laughing. I stared at him, perplexed by his mood swings.

"Have you unfrozen the sword yet?" He asked. He didn't touch it, knowing that if it unfroze, it would go back into the same motion it had been thrown in and imbed against the wall, taking him with it.

Startled, I glanced back. "No, I don't think I have to...," I broke off as the door opened. I lost my concentration and the sword flew against the open door. The slim figure ducked, not seeming to be particularly surprised. I gave a huff of relief.

Last week, I'd accidentily impaled one of the Titans with it and found myself the subject to many deadly glares. And demigods were a lot more breakable than Titans...

My heart rolled back as I realized just who the person was. Her long black hair was windswept, curly down to her back. Brown eyes shone with suppressed emotion beneath a fringe of winglike eyelashes, dark and long. Upswept eyebrows pulled back as though in pain, lips bitten until they were raw.

Rowan Cresta looked as though she were drowning in something, her entire frame shaking. She took a deep breath, as though steeling herself. Next to me, Luke had frozen into a statue. Totally unmoving, his eyes fixed on Rowan.

"Luke, before the rebirth, I need to talk to you," She said, her voice smooth though it cracked on the last fe syllables. Her beautiful face fixed on me, unwillingly, brokenly. "Alone."

Her tone was heartbroken, her expression torn. My stomach dropped to my feet because I'd seen that look before one somebody's face. Nico's, before I'd betrayed him. And the way she spoke...as though she would never see Luke again...

My stomach rolled, nearly causing me to gasp.

Something bad had happened. Something really bad.

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**A/N: I should let you know, the first couple of chapter will be set before the Last Olympian. Just to get a few details added in, you know. I've put up the first couple chapters so there's more reading material.**


	2. Conversations and Emotions

**_I_ do not own Percy Jackson.**

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Luke's expression was unreadable, his face blank. Tension rose between the two of them as he gauged her expression, the tension rolling off her shoulders, the tear streaks down her cheeks.

"You found out." He said, completely ignoring me. It made me feel annoyed, though I didn't interrupt. I was mute, standing silently while I tried to figure out exactly why Rowan looked like someone had just ripped her heart out. "You two weren't supposed to find out until it happened."

_You two?_ What was he talking about? What was he keeping from me and Rowan? Well now, just me because it looked like Rowan had figured it out. Her hands clenched by her side, about to reach for her whip. She raised a shaking finger and pointed down the hall, where her room was.

"We need to talk," She said again, her words unsteady. Her eyes, however, hardened, as though she were willing to drag Luke to her room if necessary.

Luke glanced at me, chewing on his bottom lip. Suddenly, I realized he was waiting for me to answer for him. After all, this was in the middle of our training session. Quickly, I nodded my head.

"Yeah, go ahead," I said, "I'll just stay here and play with my sword." I sat down to prove that I could behave, and he left, passing before Rowan. It surprised me how tall Rowan was. Luke was like a giant to me (okay, not really, since compared to the ten foot giants, he looked like a midget) but she came up to his nose. Rowan spun around once to look at me before taking off after Luke.

As soon as the two of them were gone, my anxiety came back into high gear. Being alone gave me a chance to think about old memories, which I didn't want to think about. As it was, all of my memories were either depressing, sad, confusing or a combination of all three. With the exception of leaving my old friends...that had been brutal.

I would _never_ forgive Kronos for that. But the longer I knew him, the more I came to realize just how human he was. And that scared me. When I'd came here, I'd been so determined to betray him in the end, to make him suffer the way he made me suffer, but when he talked to me, he sounded just like a human guy. He sounded like a normal person with emotions and everything.

And no subject was banned from being breached. He answered my questions, asked some of his own, and snuck in a witty retort that made me question of he had just been born to be bad or if he had been turned bad.

One conversation particularly had me thinking about just how evil he really was.

_"So just how did you know my mother?" I asked, shifting uncomfortably. It didn't slip my mind that I was talking to a black coffin, where his voice came from. It was easier if I focused on the air above it, instead of at the disturbing pictures painted on the side of it._

_"I thought you already knew?" Though I'd heard his voice before, I couldn't get used to it. I flinched, hearing the rich smooth voice asking such an innocent question, the type of voice that belonged to a murderer, not the person I called my father._

_"Well, yeah, but I thought you might...," I stopped talking, my mumbling cutting off with a small, awkward burst of giggles. He was silent for once, and I panicked, wondering if I had done something to upset him. I could picture him getting rid of me quite easily, if I were weak or irritating, he wouldn't care if he had to kill me._

_"What do you want to know?" He said after a great length of time had passed. "I don't have the patience or the strength to tell you the entire thing but I'll answer some intelligent questions."_

_"Okay, then," I was more than thrilled._

_Finally, someone to answer my questions. The tension in the room evaporated, which had been very noticable since he and I were the only ones in the room. I searched my mind, wondering which questions I should ask. I only talked to him for fifteen minutes at a time, since he was still weak. Settling on one question, I shifted slightly._

_"My last name," I decided, then explained quickly, "Aphrodite told me my mother's last name was Valentine. But my last name is Stone, then he said something about a guy named Adrian...,"_

_"Adrian Stone was not my alias, thank you very much," Kronos said, sounding annoyed, "Nor did she go to college. Aphrodite told you that to make you feel a little better. Yes, your mother went to college, but she spent most of her time in Camp Half Blood. Adrian was a friend who died and she chased down. She convinced me to name you after him, since she couldn't save him."_

_"Convinced you," I snorted, then immediately regretted it, hoping I hadn't offended him. That wouldn't be good for me, especially since I'd worked so hard to have a tentative relationship with him. "Sorry, I just can't imagine it."_

_"Neither could I," Kronos said, and I heard his silent chuckle. "To think, a mere demigod could actually convince me to do something...but she was something else, your mother. Made me almost regret having to take her."_

_"Why didn't you just leave her alone, then?" I asked. "If you loved her so much."_

_"I don't know about love," Kronos said, "I could never love anyoen that weak and fragile, but I cared about her to an extent. But, she was insistent on your well being. And, even as a powerful being, even I can't work miracles. Once you're dead, you can't be brought back. It's impossible. Especially since you are of my blood. Switching your souls was difficult enough."_

_"So, Hecate didn't kill her?" I asked. My hatred of the goddess had only intensified from my stay here. I didn't think anyone could be more self centered than Annabeth, but I was wrong. Hecate could give one of the Aphrodite girls a run for vanity._

_"Hecate did what was asked," Kronos said, as though uneffected by talking about my mother's death. "It's not in her personality to care about humans. To Gods and Titans alike, humans are so very fragile and breakable. Even demigods. It would be like a human upset about the death of a singular ant. It happens all the time, and they are so tiny, you stop thinking of them as alive."_

_"Humans have feelings too," I argued, "We may not seem as important to all you immortals, but our lives matter just as much as yours do. What I don't get, though, is why Gods act like we are so inferior."_

_"You are inferior," Kronos said, "Though I suppose if you wan to get into details, it has to do with how you're raised. Everything goes back to that, even god's personalities. Take Hera, for example."_

_"Hera, what about her?" I asked, shocked._

_"She's the goddess of marraige," Kronos said, "Don't you think she should be warm and soft and...carefree, I suppose would be a word to call her. Does he cold demeonor surprise you?"_

_I started. I hadn't even thought to think of it like that, though I suppose that it would make sense. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that should be Hera's personality. The goddess of marraige should be warm, not cold. What had made her like that?_

_Taking advantage of my hesitation, Kronos continued, "She adapted to her surroundings. Her husband cheats on her, has many demigods and she can't do a thing to change it. Would that make her change her personality, if she had to live with it for years upon years?"_

_"I...I guess," I said, "So...are you saying that..gods were raised to think that...,"_

_"That humans are less than them, yes. Gods have been alive longer than the human species. It would only make sense for them to believe that they are better than you. After all, they've seen the wars you've caused, the anger, the corruption you've brought on yourselves. It would be hard to not think of you as inferior. After all, your lives are small spots compared to the lives that we live."_

_"That...that makes no sense," I said. Bluntly, I blurted out, "Would that have to do with how you are, as well, then?" _

_I had said the wrong thing. The air iced over. Dark air hung over the horizon, and a sense of malice entered the room along with a powerful presence pressing against my mind that made the room spin. I gasped._

_"I'm sorry, I'm sorry...," I muttered, not really sure what I was apologizing for. I hated it when he got angry. It just reminded me of how powerful he was, how dangerous. I couldn't believe that I had deluded myself into thinking he was normal._

_"Get. Away." His words came like chipped pices of ice. I couldn't figure out why he as so mad, but I didn't have to be told twice. I got up wtih jerky movements and slammed the door behind me._

Well, I had enjoyed the conversation before his mood had switched off. But I'd learned that was common with them. After that, I didn't exactly hate him anymore, though I would be foolish to get attached to him.

Sighing, rubbing my sore back, I sat up. After a second, I left in the general direction of my room, running my fingers down the wall. I still couldn't figure out my way through this place, and I didn't want to step on an abandoned weapon, like last time. It hadn't been my fault that someone had carelessly thrown away an arrow, but Luke had laughed anyway.

As the hallway curved the shafts of light dimmed even more, I realized that I could hear voices speaking.

"...lose you." I heard a girl's voie say. I froze on the spot, realizing that it was Rowan. Her tone wasn't sappy, though. She said the words as though they were a lifeline, like she was trying not to cry. I couldn't seem to move.

"Why are you having second thoughts about it now?" Luke demanded, his voie furious. I gasped and slapped a hand over my mouth.

_Stupid, Stupid._ I thought to myself. Conversation faltered for a second, then the sounds of someone pacing.

"I didn't expect it to happen so soon," Rowan said, her voice tight, "Luke...,"

"It has to be done. I have no regrets." Luke said. "It's not like there's really anyone left to make me regret this or to slow it down, you know?" He had lost me. What on earth was he talking about.

"I understand your loyalty to him," Rowan said, choking,"But do you realize that at the end, you'll be...you'll be...,"

"Dead?" Luke finished. My heart dropped. "Yes, I did. And I don't care, as long as I'm helping Kronos rise. That's worth giving my life up for." What, no! What was Luke saying? Did he mean to make it seem like there was no way for him to be alive after the war? I blanked out, unable to understand what was happening.

My attention was diverted until I heard Rowan scream something at Luke, which shocked me. Rowan never screamed.

"And what about _me_?" She demanded. "Have you thought about what will happen to _me_, how_ I_ will feel? Or have you been too preoccupied thinking about _Jaime_ to realize that this is going to effect_ me, too_? Have you even thught I would care about you?"

"Rowan, what are you talking about?" I could hear the geniune shock in his voie. For once, I understood faster than him.

"Have you considered-have you ever thought I could ever," Rowan cut off her own words, throwing in a small laugh that sounded like suppressed tears. Then, after a pause, she asked, "Do you see me as a girl, at all? Aren't I pretty enough, smart enough, good enough for you?"

I sucked in a deep breath at her words. A second later, I heard the sound of a door opening and I ducked in the shadows. Rowan stormed out of her own room, her face red from crying and ran down the hallway. After a slight pause, Luke came out. His face was set in mild disbelief as he turned toward his room.

I was torn, wanting to go to my own room yet wanting so badly to know exactly what they were talking about. I hadn't realized that Rowan was in love with Luke. It should've been obvious but it hadn't been. Why had I assumed that she was always ill tempered? I'd never thought it would be because of Luke.

After an afterthought, I chased Luke through the dark hallways. He heard me, because I wasn't quiet, yet he didn't stop. He sped up a little, causing me to growl and pick up sped until I had caught up with him. He tried to step past me but I pushed him back, panting.

"What were you two talking about?" I gasped, nearly doubled over. Luke's eyes were controlled, his expression tight.

"I should've know you would spy on us," He said, not surprised. Another day, that would've made me give out an excuse about how I hadn't meant to do it, but not now. Not when I was so curious about something I wantd to ask him.

"What were you talking to her about?" I asked again. "I have a right to know, especially if it has to do with Kro-my father." Luke stared at him a second longer, and I matched his icy glare. A few demigods passed us, giving us strange looks but looking away quickly when they realized who it was. The silence lengthened and I nearly gave him.

"I'll just get Rowan to tell me," I threatened. He sighed, picking at a stray thread on his sweater. When he spoke, it wasn't at me.

"Kronos will rise up tomorrow," He said, "Tomorrow morning, he'll take over my body and the invasion will start."

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**A/N: Just to clarify, the first couple of chapters will happen before the last book. And I've changed around the plot slightly to suit my needs, though it shouldn't effect the plot. And just out of curiousity, what do you people think of Rowan? She was just going to be a meaningless OC, but now, I feel like she needs a bigger role in this. Does anyone agree with me, or is her character just a back up character?**

**Also, does anyone know how old Luke is? The best I can guess is that he's nineteen or something. If you know, please tell me!**

**Read and Review, please!**


	3. Good Bye's Are The Hardest

**3RD Chapter up! I hope this story's as interesting as the last one, but give it time! Good plots take time to grow. I mean, it wouldn't be very interesting if I had everything happening at once, would it?**

**I do not own Percy Jackson.**

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I couldn't believe what he had just said. My legs froze on the spot, as though I had accidentily froze myself. It had happened once before, and they had to get Kronos to unfreeze me and everything. Yeah, that had been embarrassing but this was torture.

"What do you mean?" I asked,, my voice barely escaping shaking. "I don't understand."

"Don't you?" His voice was cold, still raw from his conversation with Rowan. "You had to have known that this would happen eventually, right? That Kronos only extended my life because he wanted to make sure that you settled in well? That this should've happened months ago if you hadn't been here?"

I felt like someone had just yanked the ground from my feet. As weird as it sounded, I had come to rely on Luke like the older brother I would never have. And now, here he was, about to become a sacrifice to Kronos like he was just a toy Kronos was saving up for something.

"Isn't there a chance that you could survive?" I asked, my voice shooting past a few octaves in my surprise and anger. His eyebrows jerked up in amusement at my reaction. "I mean, you don't have to die, right? I mean, is he really going to kill you?"

Luke laughed once, a harsh brittle sound that reminded me just a little bit too closely of Nico's. My heart twitched. "No, no, he's not going to kill me."

"Oh, thank gods," I whispered, but my relief was short lived.

"At least, not intentionally," Luke continued. My neck snapped up, angered. But he just stood there like he had long sine accepted his fate, like he wasn't even thinking about fighting it anymore. It angered me, though I didn't want to punch him. At least, I wasn't that tempted just yet.

"What the _hell_ does that mean?" I near exploded. Several demigods froze at the venom in my mouth. I turned to release my pent up anger at them and snarled angrily. They fled for their lives, disappearing in the dark. Unsatisfied, I turned back to Luke.

"When he takes over my body," Luke said, his voice absolutely cool, "He won't be at full strength, but I take it that you already knew that." I nodded once. "So, in order for him to gain his full powers, he needs to regain enough strength to get his old body back. I'm just a replacement until he gets it."

"Then why doesn't he just wait for him to become powerful enough?" I asked, my voice shaking.

Luke shook his head, hair spraying everywhere on his facer. "It wouldn't work like that. He can't gain powerless unless he's in a living body. And he needs to gain power quickly, before the gods can overcome his brothers and sisters. If it's not now, it's not going to happen ever."

"Okay, but…," I hesitated, hating that I was too chicken to ask it. Finally, I blurted out, "Why does it have to be you? There's plenty of demigods, you know. Why you?"

"Because I was the one who he grabbed hold of first," Luke said quietly, "He grabbed hold of me from Tartarus, and because of that we're…I don't know. We're linked, I guess. That makes it easier for him to take over my body than anyone else."

"And you're okay with that?" I asked. All my anger drained away, for him and for Kronos. As much as I wanted to blame him for this, he couldn't help his nature. It was how Kronos was raised. Even if it was questionable, how his mother raised him.

"I don't have to be okay with it," Luke said, his voice saturated with bitterness, "It's already done. We have somewhere to go tomorrow, to put his plans into action."

"And what's that?" I asked, sighing.

"We'll go for a sea approach to get to Olympus. On the Princess Andromeda, to bait Percy Jackson to be there."

"Percy?" I gasped. For a second, my mind is consumed with burning memories of all those I left behind at Camp half Blood. The thought of Percy being on the attacking side of the war, it shocked me. Until now, I had contented myself with thinking that I wouldn't have to see any of them and it made the guilt more bearable. Now, I couldn't help the small gasp of surprise from escaping my lips.

"Yes, Percy," Luke said, gauging my reactions carefully. "You look more surprised and hurt than you do triumphant. Aren't you glad that an enemy will be rid of?"  
I remembered that no one knew of my deal with Kronos, that he hadn't told anyone, not even Luke. As far as anyone knew, I had renounced the Gods because I wanted protection, and I had played the part. I laughed when we gained ground on the demigods, hiding my anger and panic by mocking them as cruelly as others were. I helped attack groups of satyrs with demigods, desperately pleading with Grover inside my mind that he could forgive me for this. After all that, I shouldn't be upset about this.

No, Percy Jackson was the main enemy. Kronos had drilled that into my mind. I shouldn't be showing sympathy with someone who was supposed to be my enemy. I couldn't let Luke know just how much of a traitor I was to both sides.

Hoping to cover up my mistake, I shrug indifferently. "Oh, no. I was just…surprised that you would be so bold to attack Percy on his turf."

Luke's eyes narrowed in suspicion, which made me nervous. "It's just a ploy, really. Even if we can't capture Percy, he should at least see that Kronos is alive and well. Any others who come with them will be captured and killed. Simple, really."

"Of course," I said.

"Your enthusiasm knows no bounds," Luke drawled out. I jumped at his voice. "But, is that all you have to say? After I leave here, I'll be off getting prepared for the ceremony. You won't see me again."  
"Never?" My voice cracked awkwardly. I laughed awkwardly. "But…that's…that's a long time."

"I know," Luke said sadly. I gaped at him, mouth open. For once, he looked so human. His eyes were sad, his mouth pulled down in defeat. Sighing, he gave me one last look. "Tell Rowan I'm sorry."

He turned on his heel to leave.

"You're just going?" I demanded. "Just like that?" My loud voice echoed off the stone walls, and I cringed at the shrillness of it.

"Yes, I'm going _just like that_," Luke said impatiently, waving a hand dismissively. "We've said all there's need to be said. I know you consider this place hell, and you aren't very fond of me."  
"How…," I started to ask.

"You wear your emotions on your sleeve. Whenever someone asks you if you like it here, your face falls. Trust me, you're not a very good liar, no matter how much you delude yourself that you are."

"But I haven't finished everything I need to say yet!" I protested. Luke raised his eyebrows.

"Okay, go on. I have a few minutes to spare." I growled under my breath and stepped closer. This reminded me too closely of having to let go of Nico, though the pain was only intensified because this time, I had to say it to his face.

"You were wrong about one thing,"D I said, "I didn't hate you. I considered you to be one of my only friends here, one of the only ones who cared about me. You act like you don't care, but you help me through more than you know. You kept me and Rowan from killing each other, you actually laughed at my stupid jokes."

Luke's eyes widened slightly at my tone. But he kept his tongue.

I wasn't done yet. I continued, "You are the funniest person, has the worst sense of direction, a head too big to fit on his own shoulders, and a good heart." My stopped speaking, realizing just how big of a fool I was making of myself. "I'll miss you."

Luke looked awkward, knowing that if he didn't say something, I was probably going to start crying in front of him. If I hadn't been so emotional, I would've cracked up at the look on his face.

"I'll miss you too," He said, almost too low for me to be sure that I hadn't imagined it. "But it's not good bye forever, Jaime. At least, not in that way." I stared at him. At least, if he had to be gone, I could remember him like this. Like he was right now, kind and welcoming.

"But after this, after he's done, you'll die," I snapped, my voice cracking horribly. Even through this, I still couldn't blame Kronos. I could feel sad, and angry about it, but I couldn't' change anything, any more than Kronos could change who he was.

"Yes, but everyone dies at some point," Luke pointed out. It was a morbid thought, but I didn't say so. "I'll just go into the next life a little sooner than you. We'll see each other again, even if it's not here."

I know as well as he did, that both of us wouldn't achieve Elysium. I wouldn't have a chance to; I would be thrown into Tartarus. He wouldn't achieve Elysium, but he was better off than me. We both knew that we would never see each other again, but we didn't say so. We both tried to comfort each other through saying only few words.

"I guess this is good bye," Luke said, staring at me. "I'm sorry about you getting dragged into this, Jaime. You're a good kid, like the little sister I never had."

I sniffled. "I've always wanted a big brother." Before I could really break down in tears, I looked at him. Now would've been a great time for a hug, but I couldn't bring myself to. It would mean he was actually gone. "Bye, Luke."

He nodded and left. The lamp lights bended toward him as he walked away from me, not looking back once. One by one, the lights began to go black, signaling that it was probably night time. But I couldn't move. I was frozen, just like back then when I'd been forced to say good bye to my friends.

This good bye with Luke had caused old wounds to bleed out. I was proud I didn't cry when Luke was here, but now, I crumpled down against the wall. I didn't cry, but I couldn't move, either. I was paralyzed with my own fear, my worry, my guilt.

I wanted to collapse into a ball at that moment, to be part of the shadows so no one would come looking for me. Because I didn't want to be there when Luke was taken over. I didn't want to go there. That would be saying the final good bye.

The silence lapsed on, and I was aware of the pain on my legs, but I paid it no attention. Time went on, more than I thought. I wasn't sure how long I was there, but in a while, I began to hear voices gathering. Nobody noticed me, too intent on their conversations to notice me.

Demigods or not, teenagers tend to talk about the same things every day. Now, I listened to a scandalous story about who liked who, and who was cheating on who with someone's best friend. I listened until they passed through the other side, and I sighed with relief.

Footsteps sounded again, though I knew that they would pass quickly. I was mildly surprised when they stopped, just in front of me. I didn't lift my head up, not even to see if it was one of the monsters who would've loved to make fun of me to acting so weak.

"Get up," I recognized that voice. "You're making a complete fool of yourself." It was only after hearing her bitter words that I finally glanced up. Rowan was standing over me, slim and beautiful. The small light she carried in her hands made her black hair shimmering like a water fall.

"My friend is about to leave me forever," I said, embarrassed that I couldn't find the right words. "Doesn't that allow me the right to be sad?" Only now did I realize how weird I looked. As I spoke, I pulled my legs forward, relieving some tension and nearly sighed with relief.

Rowan's eyes fixed on me angrily, burning holes into my brain. "Out of the both of us, I've known him loner. He means everything to me. Yet you don't see me groveling at the floor like a mere child, do you?"

I flushed. "I have every right to be sad about this." I snarled. My sympathy for her was getting kicked out by my anger at her cold words. "And you can't talk to me like that."

"I can talk to you however I would like," She said, "Or are you better than the rest of us now that Kronos is your father."

I was taken back. "I never…,"

"Ever since I met you, you've always had someone there to protect you, whether it be Lord Kronos or your friends. Is the reason you're sad Luke's gone because you lost all of your protecters?"

"I can take care of myself!" I growled. "And who asked your opinion? As I recall, you were the one confessing your undying love for Luke a few hours ago."

It was obviously the wrong thing to say. Her face clouded over with unmistakable anger and something close to pain. Fiendish purple light glowed in he palms and her eyes clouded over, turning a color that was close to gold. At the same time, something clawed at the ground beneath her, and a skeletal hand shot out of the ground.

I gasped, staring at it. It clawed at the air, desperately trying to free itself.

"Rowan, stop!" I gasped, my stomach turning over. The skeleton scared me. I'd always thought that only Hades could control skeletons. Her face twisted in anger but slowly, minute by minute, her face returned to normal. The skeleton fell back to the ground, shuddering.

"If you weren't Kronos's daughter, you would be dead for that." she spat it at my face and I flinched. Now, I could see why she and her mother, Hecate, were so welcome here. They were powerful. "I don't tolerate people spying in on my conversations, Jaime. I tend to react very…strongly."

"Strongly?"

Her eyes misted over. "I don't know what happens, but when I lose my temper, I find I can control more powers of Hecate, like necromancy rather than just minor magic and sorcery."

I swallowed thickly. Underneath the anger in her eyes, I can detect a faint trace of sadness, bone deep. It cut me all the way to my heart.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, apologizing for more than spying on them. Her eyes flickered to me, and I gaped as I realized her eyes changed color. Why hadn't I recognized it before?

"My eyes tend to do that when I'm moody." She said, without emotion. "We'd better go now. We're late as it is."

She reached a hand down, slim and long nailed. It was an offer, I understood, and grabbed it. We both eyed each other warily. She was taller than me, about half a head. Without speaking, we went down the hallway together.

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**A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! They're extremely helpful. Now, just to clarify about Hecate, since she didn't actually make an appearance in the real books: She does have necromancy, like Nico does, as well as sorcery and witchcraft and magic. And the thing with Rowan's eyes is just something that Hecate has as well, not really a power but I thought it would be cool.**


	4. Almost Magic Fight, Rebirth and Capture

**_I do not own Percy Jackson._**

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We gathered in the throne room, where magic fire blazed on the walls, casting purple shadows everywhere. All the demigods crouched down in front of the throne, where Luke sat alone, wearing a black cloak over his clothes. He sat in front of the throne, not on it. When he raised his head, I could see just how scared he was of this.

Beside me, Rowan made a small squeaking sound she covered up by a cough. Luke glanced at her and they exchanged a small second, before she glanced away again. I had a bad feeling that she was trying not to cry.

Whispers filled the room, as everyone stared at the black coffin that had not been there this morning. A malice filled the room, almost seeable.

At some unknown signal, Luke stood. Conversation stilled almost immediately. Those who didn't stop quick enough bit their tongue at the murderous look Luke shot them.

"All right, shut up already!" Luke said, annoyed. Then, he pinched the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes briefly. "I don't have to remind any of you why we're here, do I?"

A collective, "No." Ran through the demigods. I wasn't one of them, and Rowan's teeth snapped together. She was more upset by this than I was.

"All right then. In a few minutes, Hecate will come in and unlock the coffin. After that, Lord Kronos will rise and the invasion begins!" His words were met with loud cheers of approval and the demigods rose to their feet and stomped, brought to a frenzy. Their loud cheers made me feel cold inside.

"Luke…," Rowan muttered by my side, then stopped suddenly. Alarmed, I turned to her and saw that her face was wet with tears she tried to suppress. When she saw that I was watching, she hastened to wipe her tears away, though her lip trembled. It broke my heart to see such a brave person broken.

"Rowan…," I started. She looked at me quickly, and her eyes were pale, a color so light I couldn't describe it. Before I could think of anything comforting to say, the doors opened and the demigods quickly quieted and then formed a path between them to Luke. Me and Rowan were the last ones to do so, and Hecate swept forward in all her glory.

She was beautiful, of course, and I was struck by her similarities to Rowan. Of course, the goddess could change her hair and eye color, but the similarities were still there. It as there in the heart shaped face, the small nose, the high cheekbones and the down turned lips.

Hecate swept through the room like a tornado. The magic lights flickered as she approached, and behind her marched several monsters, most of them snake women. She stopped as she made it to me and Rowan.

"Rowan." Hecate acknowledged. It suddenly occurred to me that the other demigods were kneeling. But I couldn't force my knees to give way. It disgusted me, the idea of bowing to this women.

"Mother." Rowan said, her voice as cold as Hecate's. Rowan was as tall as Hecate was, and just as deadly. Hecate's lips curled back into a small sneer.

"Dear Rowan, why do you look as though you've been crying?" Hecate raised a long nailed hand up to her cheek, and the tears evaporated. Rowan flinched. "Is something not to your liking."

"No, no," Rowan said quickly. "Just some dust in my eyes. That's all. Don't concern yourself with my wellbeing for the first time, mother." The air seemed to grow thicker between the two magic users. I wished I wasn't so close to them now. Hecate's eyes grew darker, her expression narrowing. Rowan didn't falter.

"Don't tell me you're having second thoughts about this," Hecate said suddenly. "I thought you were over your little infatuation with Luke." I gasped, as did most of the people in the room. Luke froze on the stage, one hand extended as thought to reach out and grab one of us.

Rowan's expression twisted, her mouth turned down in a snarl. Besides that, nothing gave her mood away. Among the demigods, whispers began to break out, and they backed away from the fight that was sure to break out. I could near snatches of conversation, most of them about Rowan's crush on Luke.

"Shut up!" I snarled. "All of you-shut up!" I turned to glare at them. Many lowered their eyes to the ground, fearing what I would do to them. I felt slightly guilty watching them swallow and back away, but it was swept away by the look on Rowan's face.

"I wasn't aware that my life was any of your business, mother." She said. Hecate didn't say anything for a second, as though it were beneath her to start a fight with a mere demigod.

Finally, she said, "You won't beat me in a fight, you know that, even if you are the most powerful of my children." Rowan relaxed as though this meant the fight was over. "However, I have question to ask you. Does your friendship with Luke trump your loyalty to Lord Kronos?" The whole room held its breath, waiting for Rowan to explode. She was well known for her temper, after all.

"No, it doesn't," Rowan said. I was the only one who recognized the tone she used, the same one I'd used on Kronos and Luke to believe I didn't like Nico. And that was when I realized that her feelings for Luke were stronger than her dislike of the gods.

"Good, then follow me up there to free Kronos. Stand next to Luke, take your place as my daughter. You will guard Lord Kronos as a personal guard, starting right now." Hecate said. My jaw worked furiously as I tried to think of a word bad enough to call Hecate. She obviously knew that her daughter liked Luke, and now she was making Rowan guard Kronos, while he took over Luke. That would kill Rowan, I was sure. To be so close to Luke and Luke not being there anymore.

"Listen, Hecate-," I said, "I really don't-,"

"I'll do it," Rowan cut through my words swiftly. "There's no greater honor than guarding Lord Kronos through the war. I'll do my best to protect him."

Hecate's beautiful face turned into a smile. "Good, then follow me." Rowan stepped forward with Hecate, her face turned away. "You too, Jaime. Come with me. You will be the closest to your father as he's reborn."

I wanted to say 'no thank you', but I realized that I didn't have a choice. Rowan grabbed my arm as she passed, and I was jerked forward among the demigods. Many of them lowered their gazes, though this time it had nothing to do with me. Rowan radiated anger, a helpless fury. Maybe Luke recognized this, because he turned his head as though embarrassed.

As I went up the steps, Hecate pushed past me to the coffin. She nodded to Luke. "Ready?"

His answering nod was painful to watch and I turned away from him. A lump formed in my throat, too big to swallow down.

"Okay, then." Hecate waved her hands and began chanting. The air turned cold in response to her words, as though the very life was being sucked out of the room. Wind tore through the room, tangling up my hair and turning my hands into lifeless statues. Many people shrieked. Rowan didn't move a single finger.

Her eyes were closed. I watched a tiny tear fall from her eyes, clung desperately to her lashes and fell down her face.

Tearing my eyes from her, I looked at the coffin. It was slowly opening, and from a tiny crack, a black aura began forming.

"Luke, into the coffin!" Hecate ordered. My brain shut down in confusion. I thought Kronos would take possession of him or something. I guess Kronos couldn't come out of the coffin by himself.

Luke walked forward, his face unreadable. As he passed by Rowan, I saw his hand flash out and hold her hand briefly, and she gasped in surprise. Too soon, he let go and stepped away from her. Her hands curled in open air, and her face closed off. It was too personal for me to watch, and it made me that much sadder.

Luke fixed his eyes on me. "Bye." He whispered to me. Then, he stepped in front of the coffin. Black light surrounded him, formed around his entire body. Then, he was gone. The lid to the coffin shut. Then, the wind stopped and everything was still.

I started to wonder if it had done anything when the coffin began glowing. The pictures drawn on the coffin melted like butter, and were drawn inside, where I could see a glowing light. The coffin started to shake, and I stepped back in fear, next to Rowan. The black color began to dissolve, leaving only the wooden finish. The pulsing light grew stronger, deadly, and I had to shut my eyes against the brightness.

Then, there was a loud crack sound. Carefully, I opened my eyes as the coffin shook once more and then there was silence. All breathing ceased.

So quickly, I almost missed it, the coffin exploded.

I don't mean that it broke apart. It almost looked like it evaporated into the air. From the place the coffin had been, Luke stepped out.

But it was not Luke. No, his eyes were cruel, his stance wider. No, Kronos had risen again. He surveyed the room, and a feral smile crossed his face. He let out a loud, booming laugh that made me jump.

"Free at last!" He roared. He threw his arms out in delight. In response to his casual gesture, two demigods froze. Carelessly, he unfroze them, causing the two of them to look around in confusion.

"My lord, you've returned successfully." Hecate slinked forward, offering Kronos Luke's sword. He took it with awe, then placed it carelessly on his side.

"And what of our guest?" Kronos asked.

"In the dungeons right now," Hecate promised. "Would you propose we kill him now or later?"

"Before we do anything that rash, I think the others deserve to know who it is." Kronos turned to me and Rowan. I was frozen on the spot, unable to blink. Rowan unfroze quicker than me, bowing low so that her hair obscured her face.

"Lord Kronos." She said, her lips stiff.

"In preparation for my rebirth, Luke has gone ahead and captured a powerful demigod," Kronos told the room at large. "This demigod will have the same choice I offer all demigods: the chance to join me. Should he refuse, then he'll be put out of his misery." Kronos turned his eye on me. "You know of him, Jaime."

Something erupted from my stomach. Fear. "I don't know who you speak of." I said. The formal words sounded awkward on my tongue.

"Yes, you do. Think back. You know this person." Kronos insisted. He sat on the throne, looking at me with amusement. The fear was gone by now, replaced by something closer to panick. I met his eyes, unable to fathom who he was talking about.

"I don't…," I started to say, then stopped. Kronos's eyes were very calculating, his lips skimmed back into a small smirk. I choked. "No, you don't mean him."

"Don't I?" He said, tilting his head. "You can't know that."

"But you promised that you wouldn't…..that you would," I trailed off into nothingness.

"I've noticed in the past several months that your loyalty if only skin deep." Kronos said "You do what I say, but I would be a fool to think that you do it because you want to . You do it because you want your friend's survival, which is why I think that you'll abandon us in the war, slip back to Camp Half Blood and spill all my secrets."

"No, I wouldn't." I lied. I couldn't meet his eyes, though. He knew me too well. I'd been hoping that the war would provide me with the cover needed to sneak back with my friends and explain everything.

"So, I needed something to keep you in line. And what other than the very person you care more about than your own existence."

"Please, let him go." I begged. "He has no part in this."

"Oh, but he does. He was caught spying in on camp a couple of days ago. We never would've caught him without someone very special. You see, Nico's shadow travel is a very special skill. We needed someone special to catch him."

"A god?" I said numbly, still unable to believe that they had caught Nico. Even hearing his name made me sad, like I was the one who had brought him here.

"No, a fellow demigod." Kronos smiled again. "Thank you very much for your help, Rowan." As though I was caught in a dream, I turned to Rowan, who's face was wooden.

"You?" I gasped. "Why?" She did nothing but sneer at me.

"No, answer that." Hecate said. Rowan's lips clenched but I could see her steeling herself to say something.

"Because I lost the man I loved because of you." She spat at me. "It's only fitting that you lose yours as well." And she left the place before Kronos could unfreeze. I stared after her for a second. She was blaming me for Luke's decision?

"Well, well." Kronos said. "Seems like this body will certainly cause a lot of trouble for the two of you. Jaime..,"

"I want to see him." I said. "Nico. I want to see him."

"But you can't be trusted yet." Kronos crooned. "However, if you would like to see him, then there's something I need you to do for me."

"Anything." I promised.

"I hold you to that." He said. "Tomorrow, you and Rowan are coming with me." I nodded without listening. Amazing how much my life could spiral down in just a couple of minutes.

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_**A/N: This chapter was so emotion for me to write. I was sooo sad about how Luke and Rowan had to leave off, and I almost wish I could change it. But things need to go like this for a while.**_

_**Starting in the next chapter, it will offically be in tune with the book now. And just to clarify, the Last Olympian doesn't really say where Nico was for the beginning part, so this is still going to keep up with the time line. Just in a different point of view.**_

_**Read and Review, please!**_


	5. The Things Done For Love

**Thank you so much for your support to my story. You have no idea how grateful I am.**

**I do not own Percy Jackson. Or Nico...**

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The day was warm, with a few puffy clouds overhead to block out the dangerous rays shining down. Seagulls flew overhead; cheerful music blasted through the ship. It doesn't do anything to help me reign in my anger and frustration. While monsters swept through the Princess Andromeda, me and Rowan were confided to sit n the throne room with Kronos.

The air crackled with dislike between the two of us, and I was itching to put my fingers under her neck. As though aware of this fact, Rowan turned to stare down her at me. Her expression was wounded, as it had been since yesterday, but I could never mistake it for weakness.

Not after watching he get in a fight with Ethan before we came here and beating him so much he was unable to come with us. It had amused Kronos, but it had disgusted me. Whatever sympathy I had for her was all since gone by now.

It didn't help that we both lost the people we liked, and she was intent on blaming me for the fact that Luke helped Kronos. Just how was that my fault? I'd tried to persuade, threaten and beg the truth out of her, but all I got was a frosty glare and a promise of not living to see tomorrow if I didn't leave her alone.

It was worse when we were in small spaces, and neither her or Kronos would willing to contribute to a conversation. After about an hour, I was about to go mad. I shifted uncomfortably.

"How long will it be before they get here?" I asked finally, unable to bear the silence amore. My voice cracked horribly. I hadn't spoken since they'd told me they'd captured Nico. I swallowed and tried again. "Can I go see Nico now?"

Rowan's eyes flashed to me in open hostility and I flinched back. Of course, she would hate that I got a chance to see Nico. She saw Luke everyday now, but it wasn't the same. Guilt welled up in my chest, only rebuked slightly be my anger at her.

"If you can do what I asked you to." Kronos said, a small smile tugging his lips. Rowan turned away from the sight as though disgusted, or sad. I swallowed at his tone, knowing all too well just what he wanted me to do. I gripped the knife I had (honestly, I lose my weapons so much, Kronos had to charm this one to make sure it never got lost) and tried to look like I didn't mind killing the person who was with Percy.

Yeah, I did it every day. My face probably gave me away because Rowan made a small sound of disgust.

At that moment, I heard the sounds that we'd been waiting for. Sounds of pursuit, feet thudding loudly against the wooden board, shouts as monsters chased them, splashes as some of them were pushed of.

Finally, Kronos sighed. "Rowan, if you could….?" Curious, I watched as Rowan walked out the door, her whip uncurled and gleaming dangerously.

"Where did you send her?" I asked after she had gone.

"To capture Jackson and his friend." He replied. "Out of the monsters, she can catch them the fastest." I wondered if he had insulted her or praised her so I kept my mouth shut so I didn't say anything.

I was trying to steel myself for my meeting with Percy. After so long being cooped up with only monsters for company, I knew that seeing him would be like poking at an old wound. The wound would open back up and hurt even worst.

And this time, he would leave with knowledge that I had actually killed someone. He would never forgive me this time, just how Kronos wanted it. So was it so bad that I didn't care, because it meant I would see Nico again?

I was a horrible person, I thought. But it didn't slow me down. I would cry about it later on, but for now, I tried to push it aside. I could do this. For Nico. For me.

"Brace yourself." Kronos warned me. The door burst open, and s warm of monsters came in, surrounded by a ring of demigods. The monsters left almost immediately, with a small bow to Kronos or me. I couldn't tell, though it was probably him. The demigods took up point around the room, some guarding the door, others standing behind me. In the middle of the ring were two boys, both bound and gagged, with their heads bowed.

Rowan stepped away from him, forcing their heads up with a flick of her whip. I winched as I watched their heads snap up with pain. From the place of contact from her whip, their clothes melted like tissue and a thin steam of blood poured from the cut on their backs.

The first person to meet my eyes was not Percy. No, I recognized him as Beckendorf from Camp Half Blood. His hands were calloused, his face hard. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw me, which quickly transformed to a look of anger.

"Jamie," He said, his voice deeper with emotion. "What a surprise."

"Jamie?" Percy asked. My heart jumped to my throat. I saw his head start to jerk up and his sea green eyes met mine. Even though I'd tried to prepare myself for this, my reaction was still pretty silly. I gasped and took a small step back. He looked the same as he had months ago, though he grew a little, his hair was messier, his eyes angrier.

Realizing that he was waiting for me to speak, I cleared my throat. "Hi, Percy." Well, I thought I'd said it casually. It came out jerky and breathless, with a small giggle in the end. Kronos turned to my direction as though confused. I flushed.

"Jamie," Suddenly, Percy was angry. "Well, I guess this is a good way to greet me, huh? Betray us, break Nico's heart and now you want to talk like we're friends."

I was so stunned, the only thing I could think to say was: "Well, I don't see why not."

That had been the wrong thing to say. His eyes darkened even more, and he started struggling against his bonds. Rowan stepped forward, one hand ready on his whip, and he stopped struggling. He eyed her warily.

"You and I will never be friends again," He spat, "In fact, if you weren't a girl, I would've come after you a long time ago for what you put Nico through."

"He could've come with me," I argued, "It's not the Gods are really the best people to take care of the universe. I mean, half the time, they can't even remember their own kids and you want them to be responsible for everyone on earth? No. Their pride and their arrogance has gone on long enough. Their era has ended."

"And Kronos' has begun?" Percy snorted. "Come on, are you that deluded to think that Kronos will bring peace and harmony to the world?"

Well, he had me there. I would be an idiot if I expected anything of that sort, but I couldn't let Percy know that. "You never know." I said vaguely. Kronos fought a smirk, which quickly drew Percy's attention to him and not me. I sighed in relief, backing up until I could feel the hard wall against my back.

"Percy Jackson." Kronos said grandly, laughing like they were two old friends. I flinched at his tone, knowing that he was purposely trying to make it intimidating. He was succeeding. The only one who didn't flinch was Rowan, though I doubt she was listening. "How great it is to meet you at last. I've heard many things about you from my daughter, though I don't always trust what comes out of teenage girls mouths."

I glared at the ground as he said that, hating that I'd told him about Percy. Yes, it might've been weird describing Percy as 'cute' to an evil Titan, but it had seemed like a good idea at the time. Though, no wonder he found me so amusing, I thought. I must've sounded crazy.

"So glad that you found that funny." I muttered, though he didn't once flicker a glance my way.

"I wish I could say the same," Percy drawled, his voice colder than I was used to. "But, any day you meet the person trying to take over the world can't be defined as a good meeting, can it?"

"So touchy." Kronos said, grinning Luke's old smile. Percy blinked, as unused to it as I was. The smile was Luke's, but the touch of madness, the color of the eyes was Kronos'. Yeah, and Percy thought it was confusing. How weird is it seeing their father as a teenaged boy? Ugh.

"What do you want?" Percy asked. "I know that you didn't send her-," He jerked his chin towards Rowan, "-just because you wanted to exchange pleasantries. So, do you want to kill me or what?"

"I don't like intruders on my ship," Kronos said truthfully. "This ship's been floating for a few days now, and I just got on today. Suddenly, I have you on the top deck ruining my concentration. Although," he said thoughtfully, "I wouldn't mind if you did die. Save me the trouble."

"Oh, no thanks." Percy said.

Turning away from him, Kronos addressed the demigods standing around them. "Did you search them?"

"Yes," Ethan stepped forward. "We did just now. His bag-," He pointed to Beckendorf and the long white bag he carried. Quickly, he kicked it over and a pile of snow globes fell out. "-was filled with these."

"And where did you catch him?" Kronos asked. I could see the wheels turning in his head.

"Walking toward the control room." Ethan said primly. Kronos whirled around so quickly, I backed up in fear that he would hit me.

"_You fool! What if he already made it to the control room?_" Kronos yelled. Ethan blinked, fear showing in his eyes. "This whole will explode if they had bombs."

"Took you long enough." Beckendorf said, grinning. "I've set the bombs to explode in about five minutes! This whole ship will go ka-boom!"

"Go get it!" Kronos hissed. At that very moment, Percy managed to get out of his bonds. He swung at Kronos, who was facing away from him. A whip flashed out, curled around his hands and left angry red welts in his hand. Kronos spun, challenging Percy himself. Beckendorf broke free as well, ramming into the demigods and trying to get away.

Of course, I thought. Percy could breath underwater if this entire place collapsed. He couldn't. Percy had probably told him to get away.

"Jamie! Rowan!" Kronos nodded toward Beckendorf. I ran out the door, knowing this was the only I could see Nico. Rowan bounded after me, her hair loose around her face, making her look almost evil. No doubt she was accompanying me to make sure that I actually did kill him.

"I'll cut him off," She muttered, running past me. She was fast, and she was agile. She flipped over his head, landing on her feet just a few feet in front of Beckendorf, who pushed hard on his heel and fell back. His eyes widened when he saw me.

"Jamie," He muttered, his eyes widening. Water gushed in from the sides of the ships and I slipped a couple of feet before regaining my balance. The waves were high above my head, crashing down with tremendous force.

"Nothing personal about this," I pleaded with him, though I didn't know what triggered it. "But Lord Kronos ordered your death."

"Lord Kronos," he mocked me. Then, he shook his head as though disappointed. "I thought that you could be brought back but I guess not. You're just as bad as they are. Maybe as much as Luke." And he spat at my face.

Quick as a flash,

Rowan cracked her whip and it caused him to fall over, tripping as it glazed his left leg. He yelped as he fell and she ran toward him, a good twenty feet away from her.

"Now, Jamie!" She said. Beckendorf seemed to realize what was coming to him. His eyes widened as the whip wound around Rowan's bicep and stayed there. He stared at me as I hesitated. Taking advantage of my stunned state, he pushed past me toward the rail.

I stared after him. I couldn't take his life away from him, I realized. No matter how much I wanted to see Nico or how bad the consequences would be if I didn't. He deserved to live as much as anybody else. Was I so cowardly that I couldn't do this? I'd seen others do the same thing, but I suppose it was different since I wasn't the one to do it.

"Jamie!" Rowan snarled behind me. But I couldn't find it in me to answer. I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it…

Rowan's whip curled around my wrist, the hand that held my knife. I gasped as the coiled metal cut into my wrist and blood fell. Impulsively, I dropped my knife, almost flung it away from me. Only then did I look up. The knife headed toward Beckendorf, who was almost the rail.

"No!" I gasped out loud. The knife paused in midair, the winds still pushed away from it. A little further ahead, Beckendorf stayed frozen as well, one leg up in preparation to jump.

"No!" I said again and whirled on Rowan, my fury peaking. "What did you do that for? Do you want to kill him?"

The look she gave me would've frozen even the most fiery volcano. "You were ordered to kill him and you didn't. I was ordered to make sure that he died, and now, he will."

"But he shouldn't have to!" I cried, stomping my foot in frustration. "Nobody should have to die. It's not fair!"

"Anyone who believes in the concept of fairness hasn't grown up yet." Rowan told me, lips curling. "It's ridiculous to think of anything as fair. Is it fair that a spoiled kid gets everything he could want, while someone else starves to death?"

"Well, no." I said slowly, reluctantly. "But that has nothing to do with anything. I know stuff like that is out of my control. But it's not fair to me to take someone's life, especially one who's never done anything to me."

"Then do you think that it's fair that I lost Luke?" Rowan demanded and I was so shocked by her statement that I couldn't talk for a second. "I did everything I could to protect him, I did everything I could to make him see that I cared about him, but he doesn't care, does he?"

"Back to Luke! Luke has nothing to do with this." I demanded.

"Yes, he does." she gave me a small glare. "You only agreed to do this because Lord Kronos said he would let you see your boyfriend, isn't it?"

I flushed. "I hope your not questioning my loyalties."

"No, of course not. Just your motives. I think you only joined us because you got something out of it, and not because you renounced the gods. No, I think that you did it to protect yourself or someone else. Because you haven't really changed, you hesitate to kill because you don't want your friends to see you as the enemy."

"That's none of your business," I snapped. She was perspective, maybe a little bit too much. "What does this have to do with Beckendorf?"

"I'm getting to that," she said impatiently. "Let's say that you did let Beckendorf escape, what would happen?"

"Kronos would be mad and get his revenge on me?" I guessed. I was oddly unmoved by the fact that I would probably be tortured. As long as it didn't cause anyone else problems, I was fine with it.

Rowan's eyes glistened. "No, no you. He needs you. He'll punish someone else in your stead, and he'll make you watch. If you let Beckendorf get free, I guarantee you that he will come after me and torture me to an inch of my life."

I was so taken back, I didn't question how she knew that. "Why you?" I stuttered. "Why not me?"

"You're unique. He needs you and he wouldn't dare risk harming is daughter. And more than that, he's not completely in control of Luke's body yet. If something were to happen to you, Luke would reject Kronos out of his body. Since you're the only one he cares about."

My stomach flipped as she uttered those words. Her face wasn't as broken as I thought it would be. No, she looked as emotionless as she had been when she'd said that she had captured Nico. But it was her eyes that made me choke.

"Surely you don't believe that." I choked out. Her eyes flickered to mine and then away. "He cared about you too. Why else would he hold your hand?"

"Because he feels sorry for me," She said, "Because he's a good man and he doesn't want me to be hurt by what he's doing. It's obvious that he doesn't like me. Weirdly, and disgustingly enough, I suspect that he liked you. Now that he's Kronos, it translates to almost brotherly love."

"But if he only loves me as a sister, then he obviously cares about you more." I insisted.

"He never cared about me," Rowan snapped, taking the words out of my mouth. "Not even as a sister, not even as a friend. I suppose he hates me."

"He didn't-,"

"Enough about him," She snapped. "Will you kill him or not?" Those few words brought me back to the reality of what was happening, away from the tragedy that both of us had for love lives.

"No." I said, lowering my eyes. "I'm sorry, Rowan, but I can't kill him."

"I thought you'd say that." She said, her tone flat. "Lucky for you, I'm used to pain, so it won't matter as much. But I wouldn't grab the sword if I were you."

"I'll push him out of the way." I said, and walked toward him. My heart weighed heavily whenever I thought of Rowan. Her words confused me. One minute she hated me, and the next she was literally saving my neck. It made me feel selfish that I would allow her to suffer because of me. But it didn't change my mind about not killing him.

Sighing, I stepped in front of him, getting ready to push him out of the way. What happened next happened so suddenly, I couldn't even blink. There was a pull in my gut like elastic stretched too thinly before it snaps. Beckendorf's eyes widened and the sword suddenly came forward, embedding into his stomach.

He slumped forward on the ground, sagging. I gasped.

"No," I whispered, "No, oh please, no." I went down with him, holding him upright as something warm soaked through my jeans. His eyes searched mine as he took ragged breathes, realizing that he didn't have long after all. "I'm sorry." I whispered. "I'm so sorry. I tried to do something. I'm so-,"

"Jamie," he interrupted weakly. "You're a good person-a good guy after all." I couldn't respond to that. His hand went limp in mine and his head fell back.

"No." I choked, gasping. "No, no!"

Footsteps sounded on the deck, but none of it mattered to me. All that mattered was the corpse I held in my hands, his eyes seeming to pierce mine even though he couldn't see anymore. I heard murmurs as people looked at me, and I had no doubt what they thought they were seeing.

I saw someone apart from everyone else and I glanced up. It was Percy, his eyes furious. His lips turned down into a shocked moan as he looked at the corpse in my hands, the blood, the knife. When his eyes met mine, it was with quiet fury. When he jumped over the side, I knew that I didn't have a chance of convincing him that it was an accident.

"Good job, Jamie." Kronos placed a hand on my shoulder, like a baby who still needed comfort and praise to make it feel accepted. Worse, I actually needed it. It numbed down the pain, the anger to know that someone thought that I was good.

"And I can see Nico now?" I asked, needing a lifeline to hold onto. A promise to let me know that something good would come out of this after all.

"Yes." Kronos handed me my knife, which I took. I set it down next to me and searched until I could feel his hand against mine. I needed comfort, and perhaps he understood how bad I felt at that moment because he didn't draw away.

He stayed while others left.

And when Rowan left, I felt her gaze burning a hole through me. I knew what she saw and I couldn't do anything to comfort her. Because there was nothing I could say to her that wouldn't be lies.

I had no doubt that most of Kronos' affections for me were because of Luke. Rowan had been right. Luke had cared for me most after all. And he-or at least his body-was with me, while she was by herself.

Didn't my life suck?

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_**A/N: I hope everyone liked this chapter, even though it became alittle longer than I usually do.**_


	6. The Destruction of Camp Half Blood

_**I do now own Percy Jackson**_

_**Now,for this chapter, I decided to do a change of view, and look at the story from Percy's Point of View.**_

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The moment he took a step into the meeting room, Percy wished that he was back on the ship, facing Kronos rather than his friends. He swallowed as he stood in the doorway, his lips chapped from the wind and his hair wavy from running his fingers through them in frustration. But that wasn't why he paused at the foot of the stairs. Instead, it was what was inside that momentarily distracted him from his own grieving, his own problems.

The cable leaders were in the middle of a huge war.

He discovered that when he noticed that the large table in the middle of the room was overturned, chairs thrown hazardously away and the campers were gathered up in a small circle with their weapons ready. Voices drifted toward him, not from anyone he could see. It sounded like it came from within the circle.

"Nobody's making you stay if you want to leave, princess!"

Percy froze with his foot half way down the steps and nearly tripped the rest of the way there. His hands trembled slightly as he recognized that hoarse, deep voice as Clarisse when she got mad. And she sounded so mad now. And suddenly, he understood the need for the circle. Clarisse and the other person in there with her seemed to be arguing, and the others were listening, ready to help if necessary.

That didn't explain why everyone looked so nervous though. As Percy shoved his way through the group, he briefly scanned the campers and searched for a face there that was missing, an indication that that person was in the middle with Clarisse.

Clarisse had bulked up over the span of time that he'd been gone, with the muscles ripping under the bright blue shirt she wore. Underneath, he could see the teasing edge of a white bandage on her upper arm, written on with a pink crayon and a smiley face. In her hands was a wickedly sharp knife. Her electric spear lay forgotten at her feet as she snarled, the tip of her knife just inches from another girl's face.

The girl's eyes widened with fear, her gray eye clouding over…

"Annabeth!" Percy blurted before he could stop himself. Heads turned in his direction, many in surprise. After all, nobody had known he was back at camp at all. He swallowed at the questioning gaze in their eyes. His words, however how blunt they were, had the desired effect.

Clarisse turned to him, and recoiled as though she had just seen a ghost. Annabeth, pale and clammy, snuck away while her attention was diverted and came straight up to Percy. Her face was drained of blood, leaving it pasty and white. Her lips were pink and bleeding from where she'd bitten it, and wisps of blond hair fell into her eyes, though she didn't seem to notice. Her entire body was shaking, her hands unable to stop shaking.

"Hello, Percy," she said, and he was surprised by how normal her voice sounded. He gaped at her, unable to comprehend how she could make it seem like nothing.

"What…," Percy struggled to find words then ended up repeating himself, "What's going on? Where's Chiron?"

"He went away for a second," Silena piped up, the pretty counselor for the Aphrodite cabin. "But it's just an excuse. He always leaves when things pick up."

"Pick up?" Percy repeated angrily. "You mean, ganging up on Annabeth?"

Silena regarded him calmly, pressing her full lips together and chewing on them. Coolly, she responded, "You've been here for half a second, and you're already taking sides?"

"Nobody else is standing up for Annabeth," Percy argued back, "Is nobody else going to help her while Clarisse threatens her?"

"Why should we?" Silena said. Her tone was reproachful, making Percy feel like he was three years old and his mother had just busted him for sneaking a cookie off to bed. "We know what this fight is about. We have no part in it."

"That's no excuse," Percy said, though much weaker this time.

Silena's lips quirked into a smirk. "No, it's not. Siding with Annabeth just because she's your friend isn't a very good excuse either."

"All right, fine. Just tell me what's going on," Percy said loudly. He tried not to let Silena bother him but couldn't quite manage it. His ears turned hot. The counselors shuffled around, staring at their feet.

Silena glanced up, as though realizing that nobody else was willing to talk. She frowned, annoyed, and flicked back her hair.

"Fine," she huffed and turned to Percy. Her tiny shoulders squared off, as though getting ready for a fight. "Clarisse and Annabeth have started a war between the Ares and Athena cabin-,"

"I know this already," Percy interrupted, and received a small glare from said girl for his efforts. He shrank back slightly, a small smile tugging his lips as he stared at the smaller girl in front of him.

"So, they've been arguing every time they see each other. Annabeth defends her actions and Clarisse says at there's no defending what she did. We let them go at each other because what can we do? We can't help without choosing sides, and choosing sides means splitting the camp in half."

Percy chewed his lip as he thought. "What did Annabeth do? I thought it was Clarisse who started the feud…,"

"It's not about that," Silena interrupted him. "You should've been the first one to realize what it's about."

"But I don't," Percy said, utterly bewildered.

She sighed. "You know, when Annabeth…you know," Silena ran her hand over her throat, making a choking sound as she did so. Many people winced. Percy stared at them in utter bewilderment.

"She means that Annabeth killed Jamie," One of the Apollo people said. Silence rang over them, thick as fog. Percy swallowed the feeling that had risen up to his throat.

"I see…," was all he said. Trying to find a different subject, he asked, "Where's Chiron?"

"Right here," the old centaur said, entering the room behind him. His hooves hit the ground slightly harder than necessary, and Percy noticed that new wrinkles had etched themselves on his forehead. "How was your mission, Percy?"

Many people around the room muttered about the mission, their confused murmurs rising until they were shouting to be heard. Chiron raised his hand for silence and stared at Percy, as though trying to will an explanation out of him by sheer will.

Percy swallowed, having hoped to avoid this. There was no way that he could talk about Beckendorf's death without making Jamie the culprit, and that would divide the camp even further.

"It went badly," Percy said lamely. "As you can probably tell." He didn't want to delve any deeper into the truth behind the statement.

"Badly how?" Chiron probed, sitting down beside him. Percy clenched his fists, all too aware that people were staring at him expectantly.

"I'd rather not say," he muttered. Suddenly, he realized that Silena had been dating the fallen demigod and a feeling of remorse twisted in his gut.

"Percy…," Annabeth started to say. Something in Percy snapped when her hand lightly touched his shoulder.

He blurted out, "Beckendorf's dead. Killed."

The silence following his words was touchable. Everyone froze, even Clarisse, who had been sharpening her knife against the wooden table.

"How did it happen?" Chiron asked, his voice remarkable calm, though Percy could see the veins jumping in his jaw.

"One of the demigods killed him," Percy said flatly, "I tried to help him, but there was nothing I could do.:"

Unwillingly, Percy told the story of how he and Beckendorf had come to the ship to sink it. He explained it all in detail, though it pained him to see that the faces around him sank into hopelessness. When he got to Rowan, Chiron's face closed off. He managed to tell the whole story without mentioning Jamie's involvement.

Finally, he finished, "I couldn't do anything about Kronos. What do we do about him?" Only then did he dare to look Silena in the face. The look in her face walloped him.

Her face was tear stained, though it only gave her an ethereal glow instead of making her look awful. Her lips were trembling, her lashes trembling. Silently, tears ran down her cheeks, collecting at the edge of her jaw and dropping to her fingers, clutching the table for support.

"I'm sorry," he managed to say after a long pause. She didn't respond, only shook her head away so that her long curtain of hair made a cover around her face. Helplessly, he turned toward Annabeth, who had remained quiet thus far.

She shrugged. "There was nothing you could do, Percy. It wasn't your fault. You didn't kill him."

"I wished I'd gotten there just a second sooner," Percy said ,"But time got away from me." His choice of words registered as Annabeth's face turned incredulous.

"No way," she hissed. "She went and did something like this and you're defending her?"

"What are you talking about?" Somebody asked in annoyance.

"Annabeth, don't," Percy said. But she didn't seem to hear. Her face contorted in something close to anger, and she turned away from him as though he were invisible.

"Jamie killed him," Annabeth said loudly. The hushed conversations died down. People turned to face her with annoyance, anger and doubt clear on their faces. "I tried to tell you that she was evil, but none of you listened. She killed Beckendorf. How can you defend her now?"

"Just how do you know?" Clarisse demanded. "Where you _there_, princess, or were you off plotting your next murder?"

"Percy implied it," Annabeth said haughtily, though her cheeks reddened. "How else would time get away from him? Kronos isn't the only one who can control time. Jamie can, as well. Can any of you defend her after this?"

Nobody seemed to believe her. Many people looked doubtful for the first time, but none of them seemed to take her seriously. Percy tugged on her arm, trying to get her attention. Annoyed, she shook him off.

"How could she do that?" Someone else shouted. "They were friends!"

"If she's willing to turn on friends, then what's not to say that she won't turn on us?" Annabeth questioned. She didn't notice the look of incredible fury rising to Silena's perfect face. Nor did she notice how the Aphrodite girl rose up. "She probably killed him slowly, just to spite…,"

BAM!

The slap vibrated around the room, echoing off the walls and rebounding until it was the only sound in the room. Annabeth staggered, one hand pressed against her cheek as she stared in disbelief to Silena, who's face was clouded over with pain and anger. She cradled her hurt arm, probably injured since she'd never learned how to throw a punch, yet she stood defiantly.

"Silena," Annabeth gasped, "Why did you do that?"

Percy wanted to know himself, but he stayed quiet with the rest of the demigods, watching as the scene played out before him. As quickly as he'd become the center of attention, many people now forgot about him.

"Don't you dare talk about Beckendorf like that," Silena said, her voice shrill with anger. It would've been funny if her face hadn't looked so menacing. "You have no right to even bring him up."

"I wasn't! I was talking about the person who killed-,"

"The only person responsible for his death is Kronos," Silena said loudly. "There's nobody else to blame but him. So stop saying that Jamie did it just because you want her to kill him."

"But she did kill him," Annabeth protested. Silena's shoulders sagged down like all the fight had gone out of her.

"Not to me, she didn't," Silena said quietly. "I don't know what Kronos is saying or doing to her but she can't be doing this by her own will."

"Yeah, like you know her so well," Annabeth snapped. "The only time you ever glanced her way was to make fun of her outfit. Now suddenly, you're friends?"

Silena's eyes misted over with surprised tears. Turning on her heel, she shoved past Annabeth and wrenched the door open. The door closing seemed to make Annabeth realize just how badly she behaved.

Instead of apologizing, she turned to the others. "You're all so convinced that she's the good person, yet look at what she's doing. She's tearing us apart. Camp Half Blood can't survive if we're divided like this."

"Annabeth," Percy started to say, but she cut him off with a furious glare.

"I know it's not going to be easy," Annabeth said to the campers, staring from one unhappy face to another. "But if we allow Jamie to influence us by this much…well, maybe we should take back her immunity in the war."

Breathes were sucked in sharply at her suggestion, yet nobody argued. Puzzled, yet unwilling to talk to Annabeth again, Percy turned to Chiron, who looked like he'd suddenly aged a hundred years in the past three minutes.

"We gave immunity to several demigods from the other side," Chiron said, "People that we felt we could save. Such as Jamie, Rowan…and Nico."

"What?" Percy demanded ."Nico wouldn't betray us. He'd do anything to bring down Kronos. Why would Nico of all the people help Kronos?"

"I don't know either," Chiron said, glancing down. "But he's been missing for several days now, and we can only assume that he's been captured or he turned traitor. We're just experimenting to see if there was even a small chance that…if there was a hint of…,"

"I can't believe you would do that," Percy said, disgusted. "There's no way Nico would do something like that."

"I know." Chiron said, and that was all he said about the topic.

"….with me on this?" Annnabeth was saying. Percy realized too late that many of the campers now had looks of grim resolve in their faces. Opening his mouth, he took a step only to find that his way was blocked by Chiron.

"Let it be," Chiron said, "Don't get involved in this Percy. I don't like it, but this is above you."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked, his brain turning to mush.

Chiron said simply, "Watch."

Before Percy's eyes, the sides began to shift. One by one, the campers there shuffled their feet off to opposite sides of the room, crossing an invisible line that divided them. First it was Hermes that departed from Clarisse, then it was Hephaestus, then it was Demeter….Many detached away with looks of grim resolve in their faces.

Percy rubbed his eyes in disbelief as the room split nearly in half, many of the campers on each side glaring at each other or else pleading with their eyes for the other person to come with them.

When the campers had divided, Percy turned his attention to Chiron, who looked like somebody had just stuffed a lead pipe down his throat.

"This is going to cause problems," Chiron muttered, holding out his hands toward Annabeth as though to reason with her. "Child, please…don't you think this is a little extreme?"

"No," she said, her chin trembling slightly as she realized Chiron wasn't on her side. "I'm sorry, Chiron, but you've let your softness for Jamie cloud your vision."

"Just like your hatred of her clouds yours," Chiron said, causing her to flush angrily. "What will you do, then? Will you abandon the gods by dividing the camp?"

"Of course not." Annabeth said, her voice arrogant. "We'll fight. But we'll be fighting for real…we won't just wound the demigods. We treat them as real enemies and we'll kill them."

"You can't be serious," Clarisse butted in. When Annabeth gave her a particularly nasty look, she whistled and declared, "The princess has lost it."

"Maybe I'm one of the only ones thinking straight," she said, holding her chin high and she looked past Chiron to Percy, who stood with an expression appropriate for being clubbed in the head.

"Annabeth…," he choked out unsteadily. She looked beautiful, he thought mindlessly, her hair forming a halo around her face, her eyes bright. Yet, there was something distinctly wrong about it.

"What about you, Percy?" she offered him, taking a half step before realizing that Chiron would be within arm range and wisely stepping back. The centaur had never looked so angry before. "You can't tell me you're not tempted just a little. I mean, Jamie left Nico and he went after her, and now she killed one of your friends. Is it right for you to defend her?"

No, he knew it wasn't right. She was as bad of a person as Luke was, maybe even more so because she had broken Nico completely. Percy had never seen a person fall worst than Nico. After Jamie had left, Nico had been so completely lost and angry and hurt that it almost made Percy want to cry…in a manly sort of way.

But, for some odd reason, he couldn't. Not after seeing that tortured, anguished look on her face as Beckendorf had died. He's only seen that look once before, on Nico's face and it was with a double pang of guilt that he remembered that nobody knew where Nico was.

Why was it so hard to hate her? Why was it so hard to force his mouth open?

"I can't," Percy said, barely aware of the words coming out of his mouth. "Jamie is still my friend-she wouldn't do something like this on purpose and I don't think it's fair to blame those demigods for leaving."

"I can't believe you would choose her over me," Annabeth said, her tone honestly hurt. It cut Percy to see her look at him with those accusing eyes, but he stood his ground.

"I won't go against my friends," Percy said.

"But I'm your friend," she pointed out.

He shook his head. "Friends don't give each other ultimatums. Neither do they plan on killing innocent people."

Several people behind Annabeth flinched, shuffling slightly yet refusing to budge. A sudden panic grew in Percy. What if he had to worry about his friends attacking him during the battle? What would happen to Camp Half Blood?

"Thalia would never do this to me," Annabeth said, her voice visibly shaken.

"Thalia would never allow you to do this," Percy corrected for her. "She's be the first person to tell you that you're deluding yourself into thinking this is the right choice."

"This is the right choice," she said, her voice breaking ever so slightly. She repeated it with more confident," This is the right choice. You'll thank me later."

She shoved past him with confidence, and the people behind her surged forward, not wanting to face the wrath of their old friends.

"Thank you for what?" Percy demanded at her retreating back. His hands were shaking, with anger or fear he couldn't tell.

She paused and looked back, a smile on her face. "For bringing Beckendorf's killer to justice, of course."

Percy's stomach dropped to his feet.

"You want to kill her?" he asked, his voice raw.

"Whoever sees her first gets the honor," she said, and slammed the door behind her, leaving the broken remains of Camp Half Blood.

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**A/N: Long time since I've uploaded, right? But I hope that this chapter was worth it!**


	7. Heartbreaks and Love Goddesses

**Long time no see! Well, this took longer than normal, but here is the next chapter, everybody!**

Somehow, I felt like I was on my way to my death instead of going to see my old friend. Oh yeah, maybe it was because Nico probably wanted to kill me right now.

Not that I would blame him for it, but it was still unnerving to know that I would see hatred in his eyes instead of warm relief that I was alive.

The thought of it made me pause at the top of the stairs, one hand resting on the plain wooden door that led down the stairs where Nico would be waiting. Was it cowardly that I suddenly wanted to hide myself? No doubt I would stand here all night, locked in my internal conflict if it wasn't for the rough prodding Rowan gave my shoulder.

"Go down there or don't," she said, scowling, "I don't feel like playing babysitting right now, okay?"

I tried my best not to look at her, or else the guilt I was harboring about her would bubble over and I would be left crying at her loss. It was so unfair of me to do this to her, to want to see the man who liked me, while she could never have the only person she'd truly cared about. I was a monster, but the thought was there only briefly before it was swept away by the thought of seeing Nico.

"I'm going," I snapped, going on the defensive because I knew she hated sympathy. She clicked her tongue, tapping on of her boots on the floor.

"Of course you are," she said, her voice razor sharp. She had me beat when it came to intimidation. "Just remember that he will be unchained once you get past the magically enforced bars. Are you sure you don't want to talk to him through the bars?"

"I'm sure," I said. "He's my friend, not my enemy." I fell silent, realizing what I'd just said. Rowan snorted softly behind me.

"You're jusa pice of work, aren't you?" she said harshly, making me wince. Her hands shoved me forward, and I fumbled with the knob before opening it slowly, making it creak.

I stopped when I heard the eerie sound, and flushed angrily when Rowan laughed unkindly at me. Steeling myself, I took the first step down, and the door swung shut behind me, cutting off Rowan's laughter with a sudden, ominous silence. The room became flooded with darkness, before my eyes adjusted and the faint light shone, bathing the room in a sort of soft candle light glow. Magic, I was sure.

When I was down the steps, I could see what Rowan was talking about when she told me that Nico wouldn't be able to Shadowtravel out of his new cell. Half the room was purple, with bean bags and books piled on the side. Separating the room in half was a faint, shimmering wall. Behind it, there was a small bed, a lamp and a room where I assumed the bathroom would be.

Curled on the side of a small couch was Nico, his back to me, hunched over in clothes that were clean, probably given to him by one of the demigods here. Though I couldn't see his face, my heart did a little dance when I saw him wearing bright colors, which I wasn't used to seeing on him.

He wore jeans and a blue button down shirt over a teal T-shirt, his hair messy and uncombed.

I swallowed as I stepped closer to the force field, remembering that Nico had a tag on him that wouldn't allow him to pass through it, but would let me go in and out. It pained me to see that Nico was being treated like an animal, while I was up there getting whatever it was that I wanted.

Sucking in a deep breath through my teeth, I took the steps needed to pass through. It tingled slightly, and I shivered involuntarily. The room darkened slightly around me, as though the force field were taking all the light away from here.

Nico stiffened, as though sensing somebody else in his room with him.

"Nico…?" I asked, softly. He paused, then slowly turned around. His eyes were wild and almost confused when he saw me, like a cornered animal. I tried to smile at him, to put him at ease. The animal look disappeared, and another wilder look took over. Before I could even blink, he launched himself across the room to me, hands reached out for my throat.

"Nico, what-," I managed out before his hands were on my throat, his blood thirsty face just inches away from mine. His eyes were wild, intent on choking the life out of me. I tried to go back to the force field, but he was much stronger than I was. Growling, he pushed me down, hands tightening.

Frantically, I tried to pull his hands away, but my hands were clammy with sweat. Air wouldn't go down my throat, and my gasps were beginning to fade.

"Nico, don't," I rasped out. Dark spots were beginning to appear on the corners of my eyes, growing larger as each second passed. The room was spinning, the walls darkening until all I could see was black.

Automatically, I tried to suck in another breath….

….and air rushed down my lungs so quickly, it was almost painful. My eyes shot open and I was alarmed to see that I wasn't with Nico anymore. My back was pressed almost painfully against the wall in the purple side of the room, while Rowan was pushing something electrically charged through the force field, forcing Nico back.

"No!" I cried out, cringing when Nico hissed. My throat was dry, and I cleared it, trying again for a shout. "Rowan, don't!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" she hissed at me. I wanted to lash out at her, but her voice was almost shaking. "Do you realize how close he was to killing you? Do you realize what would've happened if had succeeded?"

"I'd die?" I said, trying to make it sound mocking.

"No, I'd die," she said, "Kronos would have my head if something happened to his precious daughter because I was being ignorant."

"Oh." I said, unable to say anything else. Because I knew how close he had been to actually managing his goal. My hand leapt to my throat, where I could feel imprints against my neck, stinging whenever I put pressure on them. My eyes watered.

"I'm fine now," I said, "I can talk to him now. You can leave now."

"Hell, no," she said, turning to look at me. Her eyes flickered different colors. "No, you're never going to be alone with him again. You're leaving."

"You can't tell me what to do," I argued, "Kronos agreed to let me see him."

"And what will happen once he knows that Nico tried to kill you?" she challenged me. I fell silence, knowing exactly what she was hinting at and hating just how many consequences I had caused around me.

"Will I ever see him again?" I asked finally, when it seemed like there was nothing else I could say to make things go smoothly.

"How should I know?" she demanded. She didn't say anything after that, leaving me to my own thoughts. I wished desperately that she would say something to me, that she would yell at me, or better yet, let me run away so I could talk to Nico.

"He hates me," I said pathetically.

"Duh."

"No, he really hates me," I said, not knowing why I was saying this to her yet unable to stop. Rowan's mouth tightened but she didn't interrupt me. "He stares at me like I'm a monster, and he wouldn't let me say anything."

"To him, you're an enemy," she said, shrugging carelessly. It hurt me to think of it that way. "Why wouldn't he want to kill you?"

"He was my best friend," I whimpered, pathetically. She stared at me for a second, a look of something close to pity in her eyes, before amusement replaced it.

"Annabeth was my friend," Rowan said, to my surprise. "I took care of her as a kid, and now look. She's changed…and not for the better."

"Neither have you." I said, without thinking. Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't stop walking so she didn't get a chance to fry me alive. Which was good, because I liked having non-charred skin.

"No….," she said slowly. "I haven't changed for the better, either, but her….something is clouding her judgment. For me, at least, this is something that I wanted to do. Nobody influenced me. I chose this. But her, I don't know if she's in her right state of mind."

The idea that Rowan chose to come here willingly was laughable. What we both knew, and what

We would never say out loud was that it was because of Luke she was here. It was because of him she had suffered. And he wasn't here anymore.

We walked without talking, both lost in thought. She stopped in front of my room, waited until I had slammed the door and walked away. I could hear her smooth footsteps in the ground. When she was gone, I sighed and flipped on the lights, not really caring about what my room looked like.

When I had first come here, I was astonished at the size of my room, with a walk in closet with seemingly endless clothes, a fridge full of my favorite foods, and a large bed overlooking a magical window that could show me just about every scenery possible.

Almost every scenery, anyway.

On a whim, I called out, "Show me Camp Half Blood."

Nothing happened. Just like the last couple of times I had tried it.

Feeling defeated, I sat down and stared blankly at my walls, watching as lights played around it. My mirror showed me my own tired reflection, the same sad eyes watching every movement, and I briefly mused about how much better I looked.

Of course, I wasn't trying to sound vain, but a girl couldn't help noticing things like that, especially when it was the only thing that connected me to my old life in the slightest. My auburn hair was longer, I noticed, and the frizz had gone out of it, slightly wavy from being put up so much. My face had grown into its potential, with the sharp cheekbones and curved chins, but my eyes were dark, brooding…endlessly sad, like someone else I knew.

It was startling to see all the changes happening to quickly in my face, to see how mature I was. Standing up, I knew that I was taller than I had been, more slender thanks to the killer hours that Luke had made me train.

Luke…even thinking his name was like a knife wound between my ribs. It hurt to think of him. It hurt me even more to think about Nico, about him down in that cell because of me….

I laid down, my head touching the soft blanket, feeling my mood suddenly shift from bitter to furious. How dare Nico blame me for something that I had no control over? How dare he judge me and not comfort me, tell me that things would be okay? Didn't he understand how hard it was for me to leave me, to leave the camp? Didn't he realize how much I needed him and resented him for seeing me as a cold hearted killer?

Maybe I should give up on him, I thought to myself, floating down into the weightless feeling that came with coming very close to sleep, save myself the headache.

"Oh, no you won't," I heard a voice say and I sat up abruptly, glancing around my room. The weightless feeling disappeared, and my eyes quickly scanned around, one hand rummaging for my knife.

"Where are you? Show yourself!" I demanded, trying to hide the sudden thrill of fear. Then, I smelled it, a delicious scent of roses and lavender.

"You've gotten much prettier," said the voice again, and this time, I knew who it was. I sighed, turning around to stare at the face of Aphrodite. She was smiling at me, her hair long and flowy, her dress showing off the curves of her legs, the slender line of her neck.

"What are you doing here?" I said. "The Titans will catch you if you're in my room."  
She chuckled under her breath, a sound that made my own laugh sound downright ugly. "Sweetie, you are dreaming. As the essence of love, I can penetrate through heartbreak without being detected. And it seems like you need my help."

I don't need the help of a God," I said, trying to inflict as much bitterness into my voice as I could. "It's your fault this war is happening."

"Is it, sweetie? Because it seems to me that you're going to be the ones fighting your friends."

'Because you Gods are too lazy to take care of your kids!" I snapped, then sighed deeply, already feeling tired. "What do you want? I already feel like shit, if that's what you're here to tell me."

"Mmmm….I like to leave the cussing to Ares, actually," she told me. "No, no, I'm here to tell you to not give up on Nico."

"Why shouldn't I?" I demanded. Forgetting this was a dream, I placed my hands on my hips and was surprised to feel fabric bunch under my fingers. "We're….," I swallowed, trying to force the angry words up through my mouth. "We're not friends, and we're certainly never going to get closer. He hates me."

Aphrodite regarded me for a second, then sighed in irritation. For a second, I thought she was mad at me, but then she made a face and waved a hand toward the ceiling.

"Drat Zeus," she said mildly. "He can sense that I'm in the human world, so listen carefully. Love always finds a way, and if you give up on him so easily, then maybe you don't care for him as much as you thought you did."

"But I…," I hesitated, unable to say the words out loud. I changed the words quickly. "I care for him. A lot."

"Then try to talk to him," she said. "If you truly care for him, don't let him rot in that cell without telling him how you feel."

"How?" I asked miserably.

"Figure it out," she said, winking. She disappeared soon after, and I sat up, gasping. I hadn't even been aware of having a dream, but as soon as my blankets were off, cold air penetrated through my clothes, and I shuddered.

I huddled next to my bed, shaking with anger and the sudden chill. Staring at the floor in deliberation, I wasn't even aware that I had gotten out of bed and was headed toward the prison until I tripped over the stairs leading down.

It was darker than I realized, and the lights made me cringe, staring around in hope that I wouldn't meet up with Rowan, or worse, Kronos. When I finally got to his cell, he wasn't asleep.

Nico stared at me with cold eyes, arms wrapped around his knees, long hair falling over one eye. His mouth soured as he saw me, and I tried not to act like he was affecting me that much.

Suddenly, as I stared at him and sank down to my knees next to the cell, I couldn't think of a single thing to say. My hands turned numb, and my tongue was too thick to form words. He stared at me for a second, not thawing out.

"Hi." I finally said. He didn't say anything. His eyes didn't shift, just continued to glance at me as though I were a stranger. Resigned to the fact that I would be here for a while, I sat down more comfortably, and stuck my hair behind my eyes.

"I didn't realize how cold it was until now," I said, not really knowing what I intended to say and flushing at the stupidity of my words. "Is it always so cold down here? I never noticed, but then again, I never spent time down here in the dungeons. My room is warm, but I guess that-,"

"What do you want, Jaime?" I jumped at the sound of his voice, the dryness of it. My heart broke at the sharp razor of his voice, because he had never directed it toward me before. I flinched, and mentally hated myself for being so weak in his presence.

"I wanted to talk to you," I whispered. I swallowed, unable to say the next lines without clearing my throat. "I missed you. I missed everyone at Camp, but especially you." There was silence for a second, then I continued when he didn't say anything. "I could never forget you."

The silence continued to wrap around us, but I was scared to say anything else. I couldn't figure out what he wanted, and it seemed cruel to leave him. Minutes elapsed, and neither of us uttered a single word. With each second that he stared at me, my entire being chipped away.

"Please say something," I whispered. He didn't respond, didn't do anything. It was like I was invisible, and too late, I realized that I never should've come down here and tried to talk to him. All it would do was hurt me even more. "Yell at me, call me a coward, but please talk to me."

My voice cracked on the last words, and it wasn't until then that I realized I had truly missed him. I sank my teeth into my lips so tears wouldn't fall, but it didn't work very well.

"Jamie….," I glanced up, my pulse quickening. Nico was stirring, his eyes blazing with life. "You are really pathetic, aren't you?"

What was left of me exploded into a million pieces at hearing those words leave his lips. And I couldn't defend myself against it because it was true.

"I know," I whispered, though I doubt that he could hear me.

"You leave me," he said, his words like ice. "You leave me, and then you tell me that you miss me. You left everyone behind, and you expect me to feel sorry for you. If you had stayed, if you had believed in us enough…if you had believed in me enough, then things wouldn't be like this."

Each separate word was a sting, an arrow piercing me with the undeniable truth.

"What do you want me to say?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "I could apologize a million times over, and it wouldn't change anything. This is just how it has to be."

"I don't believe that," he said. "How could you just leave and come with Kronos?" Looking at his face, I held back the sobs that were threatening to overflow. No, he didn't understand how agonizing my decision had been, and I couldn't tell him, because it wouldn't change anything.

"Nothing would've changed,' I repeated out loud. "This is who I am. If I were to side with you, then they were threat me like I was the enemy. I never fit in anywhere, Nico. This is just the place where they're too scared of me to try to kill me. Where else would I go?"

"You could've come with me," he said, and through the ice in his voice, I heard his own heart break. "If you'd trusted me enough."

"Of course I trusted you," I said angrily. "You were the only one who cared for me, the only one I considered my friend. But, there was nothing you could do for me."

'I understand how it must feel," he said, "With a father everyone's afraid of, and a lineage that makes you wonder how many enemies you have and feeling like everyone's just using you."

I nodded slowly.

With piercing eyes, he said slowly, deliberately, "I felt the exact same way…and then I met you. I thought that I could keep you from feeling the same way, that I could help you, and that you could help me. I didn't realize that you would take my heart and stomp in it until it broke into a million pieces."

"Nico, I didn't-,"

"And now, here you are, telling me that you didn't want things to be this way," he continued in a brisk voice. "Torturing me when I'm down."

I couldn't say anything else.

"If you truly care for me as you say, then leave," he said. "If I have to be a prisoner, then I'd at least want to be guarded by someone who doesn't question what side they're on."

"I'll come back tomorrow-,"

"I don't want you to come back," Nico said, and then said to my horror, "I don't want you, Jamie. You're not the same girl I fell in love with. I never want to see you again."

Tears prickled behind my eyelids. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Okay," I whispered. I got up unsteadily, my hands shaking and my legs trembling. "Okay, then." I made it up the stairs before I ran back to my room, and by then, the tears wouldn't stop flowing, wouldn't stop falling over my face. I curled up on my bed, staring at my reflection, then swallowing at the large lump forming in my throat.

In a few short minutes, I had actually lost Nico. What was left of my heart withered away, leaving me empty.


	8. Accusations and Magic Blocks

**I do not own Percy Jackson.**

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When I awoke the next morning, it took me a second to realize that there was something weird. I strained my ears, sat up straight and tried to wipe the tears from my eyes, as I heard the distinct sound of….yelling.

Someone was yelling, and by the sounds of it, it could only be Kronos. The thought of me made me shudder, before my door was opened roughly. Ethan strolled in, his eye narrowed. Thin streams of blood ran down his cheek from a wound opposite his temple.

"Where is he?" Ethan demanded. "Where the hell did you hide him? Tell me now or it will count as treason!"

"Get out of my room!" Was the first thing I could think of, as I slipped down and glared at him. For some reason, he already had his weapon with him, and it was a bit unnerving staring down someone who was a head taller than me and armed to the teeth.

"Where is he?" he demanded again. Behind him, I could hear more questions being thrown everywhere, screams and laughter, and even the swing that meant someone was getting violent.

"What 'he'?" I asked.

Ethan scowled, which did nothing to help his complexion. He looked pale, his skin almost chalky.

"You know exactly who I'm talking about," he growled.

I stared back at him, set my jaw. "If I knew, then I wouldn't be asking you." I tried to guess what it was about, but my brain couldn't function as quickly as it could, due to my still sleepy state.

Ethan hesitated, seeming conflicted for a second. "Nico," he said, and I froze. My hand was halfway to my mouth to cover up a yawn, and even that was frozen. "Someone helped him escape. He's not in his cell. He's gone, and three demigods are dead."

The triumphant feeling I had started to have died down into ash. I gaped at him in horror as helplessness began to blossom in my chest.

He couldn't have killed three demigods….not Nico.

Icy fingers trailed up my spine, leaving a flaming trail of fire to burn and devour. I swallowed, and even that small gesture was enough to make me almost break down.

It took a second to get my mouth working. "Did Nico-did he kill….,"

"How the hell should I know?" he demanded. "Why don't you tell me?" His tone was more than just sarcastic and annoyed, like the pervious times he had spoken to me. Now, it was dripping with malice and evil intent.

"What, exactly, are you accusing me of?" I snarled. It was easy for me to forget my temper, and when I did, things tended to slow down or speed up. Just now, my clock began to turn quickly, rotating at a rate so fast I couldn't see the hour hand anymore. The fly buzzing around my room began to fly at about an inch per hour. Perhaps Ethan realized how annoyed I was, because he reluctantly set down his weapon.

"You're the main suspect for letting the prisoner go," he said. "You're the person to blame for the three dead demigods. And, coincidentally, you're the last one to see him last night."

"I left with Rowan," I said automatically, not wanting to get her in trouble. "She told me not to go back."

"And you disobeyed," he retorted. "Several of the night guards saw you leaving his room, crying. So much for being the fearless daughter of Kronos."

I ignored the jib, though my fingers wanted nothing more than to strangle him.

"You need to come with me," he said abruptly. "Kronos wants to see you."

Just like that, the air was sucked away from my lungs. Black dots danced in front of my vision, and just for a second, things were weightless.

"I…let me get changed first," I said, as a distraction. The firs thing I'd learned since I came here, besides the fact that I should lock my door every night so I didn't get unwanted visitors here, was how to keep up a mask so nobody could see what I was feeling. Right now, I was a mess, but if Ethan knew that, then he would start to question my motives.

Ethan clearly didn't like it, but he remembered who he was dealing with. He left my room, though I knew he was waiting outside the door. The thought of being questioned by Kronos made me feel cold, even more than the fact that somebody here had helped Nico escape.

What it meant was, somebody here wasn't fully corrupt yet. If I could find him….maybe I had a chance of turning back before they were killed.

I swallowed as I changed, tugging on the tight jeans (all my other ones were still dirty, or blood stained, or covered in monster guts) and a dotted shirt with a belt. impractical, maybe, but I doubted that I was in any sort of danger at the moment. If was I was, then Kronos would've sent one of the other Titans after me. He had done it once after me and a few other girls dared each other. To make the long story short, it had involved a slice of old cheese, mimicking a sultry girl's voice, and one of the Titan's underwear, (A story for another time).

When I did leave the room, Ethan wasn't alone. A small group of demigods were waiting outside my door, more than a few scratches adorning their faces. One of them, a well muscled girl with a mop of frizzy hair underneath a large baseball hat, turned to stare at me with a brutal face. I flinched away.

They accompanied me to Kronos's throne room, and each step I took felt like there was more and more pressure being put onto my shoulders. It wasn't just because I was nervous. It also had to do with the cold air that Hecate kept around most of the throne room, because it seemed to amuse her when demigods began shivering with the icy air. The only one who never flinched was Rowan, who simply crossed her hands and sighed, her face impassive.

Only now was I realizing how much it hurt for her to put so much into it. I wondered briefly how Luke had cracked the mask, or if she had changed just very recently.

Someone opened the throne room, and after a slight pause, I entered first. What caught my attention right away was the cold air. It was worst than a winter day, because this air swirled down your lungs and sucked away the warmth, left you short of breath.

On opposite sides of the double line of stone pillars, most of the demigods sat, many of them sporting new bruises. A few monsters lined up against the walls, their eerie presence causing more means to be alarmed. One of the giants was forced to crouch down to his knees so the ceiling wouldn't fall over his head. On the slightly raised podium, an obsidian throne was occupied by a teenage boy with a very cold expression.

I knew right away how angry Kronos was because his chair had become very brittle, and the people closest to him were beginning to edge away because his power was spreading like an infection.

Standing right behind Luke, her eyes wide and furious, was Rowan. Her eyes locked on mine the moment I entered the room, and I was thrown by how angry she looked. I'd seen her mad before, but this was completely different. Dots of color shone on her cheeks, and her eyebrows were pulled together. Mixed in with her anger was something close to pity, which made me even more frightened.

Nobody spoke until Luke's-I mean, Kronos's-angry eyes fixed on me. There was something swirling in those eyes that I couldn't identify, before it went away, replaced by a layer of coldness that chilled me to my bones.

Not knowing what else to do, I lowered my eyes and addressed the floor.

"Father," I said respectfully, a blush coloring my cheeks. Now strange it was to refer to Luke as my father, but it was obviously the right thing to do. Some of the tension went out of his shoulders, and he settled back, regarding me under half lidded eyes.

"You address me properly," he said, and I flinched, "Yet you betrayed me just last night after you set one of our prisoners free. Care to explain yourself."

"I…," I swallowed, not knowing what to say. As weird as it was, Kronos had never put me in an awkward position before. Despite being the mastermind in an elaborate plot to dethrone the Gods and wanting total domination, he wasn't such a bad guy. He was fairly patient, willing to help me master my power, willing to shed some light into my past, and he had a fairly good sense of humor, if you could get past the iciness of his heart.

"I didn't do it," I said, and it sounded lame, even to my own ears. I tried again, "I didn't free Nico. I-I wanted to, but I didn't. I swear I didn't."

I couldn't think of anything else to say. Conscious of the eyes staring at the back of my head, I sank to my knees, partly because my legs had turned to jelly once Kronos had started talking.

"If you didn't, who did?" Kronos demanded. I could tell he was getting close, because a shadow fell over me. Sweat fell over my eyes, though I tried not to let it show. I willed myself not to cry.

"I don't know," I stuttered, "But I didn't."

"Nobody else here has the motives to," he said, pleasantly. It made me nauseous. "You're in love with that man. You snuck down to talk to him. You betrayed your friends for his survival. Would it be silly to think you would betray me to help him?"

"But I-," I stopped talking. What I had been about to say was, "But I'm too scared of you to try to attempt it, because I know you'll kill him in front of me. And also, he hates me anyway!"

"But what?" he asked, his voice silky. I trembled.

Now, here was the time to prove just how much he had taught me. I looked up, caught his eye, willed my chin not to tremble.

"Nico himself said that he hated me, because I was the enemy. And the feeling is mutual," I said. As soon as I said the words, it was like crushing out my heart. I continued on, "I now know that we're too different, and he will never changed. I-I will regret having to kill him, but he won't sway me from staying by your side."

Lies. Lies on top of lies. Would my deception be so noticeable? Cold trembles ran throughout my arms, and I flinched when Kronos met my gaze with a searching one of his own, as though testing my lying ability, because I knew that he would see through me easily. My fingers dug into the ground.

"Fine," he said easily. "Go back, then, Jamie, and let us finish this war meeting. Ethan, go with her to make sure that she doesn't try anything."

I was stunned. "But…,"

"You're grounded," Kronos said, and if he had been a normal dad, I would've sworn that he would've scowled at me with a cigarette hanging out his mouth. I actually wanted to stomp my foot.

"You can't do that," I said meekly. I shrank back when he glanced at me.

"On the contrary, I can do whatever I please," he said. "Now, dismissed." I was too miserable to protest at being sent away like a dog. I walked the rest of the way mechanically, before pausing at the sparring room.

"Want to spar?" I asked Ethan. He hesitated, clearly torn. I didn't really want to spar, but I needed a way to get my anger out of my system, before I did something stupid. Besides, he had been wanting a rematch since I beat him a couple of days ago.

"Fine," he said, opening the door. I followed behind, already feeling the adrenaline rushing through my veins.

* * *

Percy P.O.V

When Nico showed up several hours ago, bleeding and pale and only half conscious, Percy had been glad to get a distraction from the destruction of Camp Half Blood. The entire camp was divided by an invisble boarder, splitting the entire camp in half. Tensions ran high, especially when the Ares and the Athena kids caught up with each other during meals. The only thing preventing a full blood bath was the fear of being killed before the acutal battle.

Percy had made sure that Nico was being taken care of, before running off to find Chiron. And now, staring down at the unconscious face of Nico, Percy couldn't help but feel like a creep for thinking that he had deserved to die.

He shifted slightly on the chair, uncomfortable from sitting down for several hours in a row. He turned toward Chiron, who's tail was twitching nervously. "About how much longer do you think it would take for him to wake up?"

The centaur shrugged helplessly. "I'm not sure, Percy. We don't know how or why he was hurt. For all we know, his mental state could be trapped inside his body and he's dying as we speak."

"Great. That's just what I wanted to hear," Percy said, slumping backward in his seat. He glanced outside, to where only a few people were out and about. He could just faintly see Annabeth, hunched over a piece of paper.

She was probably plotting the downfall of may demigods but Percy thought she still looked beautiful. Her hair was up in a messy bun, which he had never seen her in before, but it suited her. It made the curve of her cheeks and the curve of her nose more defined. Small strands fell over her face, which he wished he would brush away.

Almost as though feeling his gaze on her, she turned and met his eyes. He flinched, dropping his gaze. He couldn't stand to look at her in the face, because it would feel like he was betraying his friends.

He stared down at Nico instead.

"I just wish I knew what happened," Chiron was saying. "This is taking far too long for the nectar to take affect."

Percy scowled at the ground. "It's a lucky thing that a few people from Apollo stayed with us."

Chiron nodded, his face grave. "We're very lucky for small miracles."

Miracles.

No, it wasn't a miracle, Percy thought angrily. The people who left were scared to lose, and would switch sides if they sensed that Annabeth couldn't lead them to victory. It made him mad, more than a little irritated, to think of the cowards worrying over petty disagreements while Nico was half dead.

"I can tell what you're thinking," Chiron chided. "And you shouldn't have such negative thoughts towards your fellow campers."

"Yeah, and why not?" Percy asked, swallowing a lump. Without realizing it, his hands had turned into fists. His face felt hot.

"Because you don't understand how scared they are," he replied. "Many people aren't blessed with a strong head on their shoulders, Percy. They live only to win, and will do anything for safety. It's no use trying to change human nature. Someone's choice could be viewed as cowardly in someone's eye, while being exceptionally brave in someone else's view."

Percy's stomach tied in knots. "You're talking about Jamie." His voice cracked on her name. Chiron nodded. "Well, don't talk about her. She left us, she betrayed us. There's nothing left to say about it."

"Do you think she left you because she wanted to side with Kronos?" Chiron asked, tilting his head.

"I honestly don't know what to think about her," Percy said honestly. He shook his head back and forth. "I thought for a second, it was because she didn't like us, but then I realized that it couldn't be because of that."

"Why? Because she stayed with you when you were vile to her, came back to save you after you scorned her, betrayed her, and tried to kill her?"

"Yeah." When Percy swallowed, he felt his shame raising to the surface. "Exactly because of that."

"Yes, I wonder of her motives herself," Chiron muttered, seeming to be more for himself than Percy.

Percy said absentmindedly, "Are all girls so complicated or do I just have the pleasure of knowing the extreme ones?"

Chiron gave a small, weak chuckle. "They're not all that bad, Percy. Not even the people you know…,"

"Oh, yeah?" Percy snorted, then began to tick names off on his fingers. "Thalia, Jamie, Annabeth, Clarisse…., need I go on?"

Chiron actually cracked a grin. "I suppose you could if you wanted to, but I think Nico just woke up."

Percy turned around so quickly, he felt something pop in his neck. He rubbed it as he glanced down at Nico, who was indeed starting to stir. When his eyes opened, they were confused, and then Nico bolted upright, scaring Percy so badly, he fell to the floor.

"Wha-what happened?" Nico asked, trying to get out of bed. His hands shook as he attempted to stand, and Chiron held him back down, whispering quietly to him. Nico quieted, but only slightly.

"Nico, don't you remember what happened?" Percy inquired, sitting down again. Nico rumpled his hair and swallowed painfully.

"No," he croaked. "I don't remember anything past-," Suddenly, he winced, holding his head as though it was about to split open. "Gods, I don't even remember."

"How do you remember?" Chiron asked quietly. Percy suddenly remembered Nico's hatred of his camp, and realized why he may not want to talk.

"I remember being kidnapped," Nico said, his voice like ice. Percy felt his words as thought they were blows. "I remember being pulled into a portal, being tortured. I remember Jamie coming down to talk to me, and rejecting her. Then-then I can't remember anything else."

"Were you knocked out-?" Percy asked, but Nico was already shaking his head, wincing as though it were painful.

"No, I don't remember being hit," Nico said. "I remember shadows, but it's like every time I try to touch it, the memory is pulled away from me."

Chiron frowned so deeply, his forehead seemed to cave together. "That's magical block, I think. Very powerful, if you can't access it at all, though that would mean-,"

"Uh," Percy interrupted. "Could you explain what that is?"

Chiron turned. "It's basically a block formed around the mind to block a thought or a memory. It's used sometime's by demigods who have parents who specialize in magic, like Iris or Hecate. The strength of the demigod would show how effective the block is. Judging from Nico's lack of knowing what happened, I daresay that the person is very powerful indeed."

"So…., what?" Percy asked, trying to wrap his brain around the confusing topic.

"So, that means that whoever helped Nico must've been the one to wipe his memory," Chiron said, and Nico groaned for some odd reason. When Percy looked at him, Nico shook his head.

"Nothing," he said softly. "It's just…I thought seeing Jamie would be easier the second time around."

Percy felt awful for Nico. Obviously, the kid wasn't very social, nor was he a very good communicator, but he had found something in Jamie. Of course, it must hurt to see her turned against him.

"Never gets any easier," Percy muttered, thinking of his own rocky relationship with Annabeth.

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_Jamie P.O.V_

After falling down for the third consecutive time, I started to get mad. It wasn't that I wasn't trying, it was just that my anger blinded me.

I screamed angrily, lunging forward with murder being my intent. Ethan backed up extremely quickly, holding up his hands in surrender. Seeing him give up should've appeased me; instead, it made me even more pissed.

"Fight back," I snarled at him. "Don't you dare give up! Fight back!"

"You're not behaving rationally," he insisted. A small part of me knew that he was probably right, but I didn't like being told what to do. I advanced, and this time, he stood his ground, though he was far from willing to fight me again.

"What the hell's the matter with you?" Ethan spat. "Did you finally hit your head too hard?"

"I just want a spar!" I shouted, then realized how loud I was and composed myself. "I just wanted a spar, okay? Is that so evil?"

Ethan lowered his arms in a way that made me irritated. He approached me like I was a wild animal. "Did you finally snap because of the accusations or did you snap because you can't stand seeing daddy mad at you?"

"Shut up!" I said, but it came out shrill. Then, I stayed silent, suddenly realizing that, yes, I was behaving like a complete idiot. And no, it wasn't because I had been accused of helping Nico escape. Was it really because Kronos had gotten mad at me? I cringed.

"Happy now?" Ethan demanded. I sighed, nodding ungratefully. I felt my cheeks warm slightly at my actions, though I would be hard pressed to actually apologize to him.

"We should go back now," I said after a second. "Or I can go to my room and you can go…where ever."

He regarded me for a second, his eye more serious than I could remember seeing it. "This place isn't a prison, I hope you know that. For some of us, this is paradise."

"I….," I was saved from having to respond by a loud roaring sound, which was good, because I had no idea how to respond. Ethan whipped his head around, seeming to have forgotten about me.

"What's going on out there?" he asked, though I had no clue. There was another sound, this one more of a thumping. Then, a beat of dead silence and then the loudest roar or all, shaking the ground.

Just as Ethan reached the door, one of the demigods opened the door. A girl, her ponytail bobbing around her face, scanned the room and found Ethan, picking himself up from the floor.

"What's going on?" he demanded.

"Someone admitted to setting the prisoner free," she said, and left without saying anything else. Me and Ethan exchanged pensive glances, before following her. As we neared the throne room, I saw many demigods rushing to escape the throne room, where bright lights were flashing like a rainbow.

Through a small crack in the door, I could see Kronos advancing on someone, his hands outstretched with Luke's sword in it. There was a scream, a thud, and then, "I did it! I freed the son of Hades, not that kid on the floor!"

I saw Kronos's eyes narrow with anger, and then everything moved in slow motion. I saw his arm raise and fall, saw the way his mouth formed angry words. Just as my hands reached the door, the sword finished its arch and fell down.

A thud followed the swing, and as I pushed the door open, someone fell to their feet at Kronos's feet, shielding a demigod who looked about thirteen. And when I saw who it was, all thoughts left my mind.

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**A/N: Wow! What a chapter! Can you guess what happened? Can you?**

**Read and Review, people! **


	9. The Cons of Spying

**I do not own Percy Jackson.**

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I had expected a lot of things. I was braced for a demigod dead on the floor. What I had not been expecting was Rowan, crouched on the floor with her arms grabbing desperately at the floor, where-just a second ago-a male demigod had lain, frozen. His tiny body dissolved into smoke, completely obliterated where he stood.

"He didn't do anything," Rowan choked out, and I wondered if she was about to cry. Then, she saw me and I saw the angry look in her eyes. Black smoke smeared across her face.

"He disobeyed orders," Kronos said icily, his voice cruel and mocking. It seemed to make Rowan even more scared. "He got in the way of the attack when I told him to stand down. If he hadn't made such an idiotic move, then it would be you gone, not your pathetic excuse of a cousin."

_Cousin?_

Now, I was really confused. Then, I realized that Kronos probably meant it in the godly way. When Kronos saw me, his expression faltered slightly.

"Jamie," he said, "Get out of here."

I started to protest. "What's going-,"

"Get out of here!" Kronos thundered out. I flinched from his tone, and was surprised by how on edge he was. I'd never seen him briste before. I glanced at Rowan, her pale face set.

"Get out of here," she agreed emotionlessly. My fists clenched at being addressed as a child, but I held my tongue.

There was something about this scene that scared me. I wasn't sure if it was the glare in Kronos's eyes or the curled lip of Rowan that promised evil intents. Whatever it was, it was enough to make me think of what to say next instead of simply blurting out whatever I wanted.

"Did something happen?" I asked. Kronos glared at me for not listening to him.

"I don't think I stuttered when I told you to get out," Kronos said to me, venom in his voice. "I'll ask once more: get out. Right now."

I opened my mouth to retort, but he sharp glare that Rowan shot me made me keep my mouth shut. I covered my lips with my hands, bowing stiffly as I left. The door slammed shut behind me, much to my frustration. I turned, about to take my frustration out on the door, but Ethan stopped me.

I narrowed my eyes on him. "Were you spying on us?"

"I was spying on you," he admitted freely, the held up a hand as I was about to snarl at him. "Listen, I know a place where you can spy on them, provided that you not rat me out."

I bit my lip as I thought about it. I really wanted to know what they were talking about, but at the same time, it made me slightly uneased to think of how many times he could've spied on me and Luke sparing in here.

"Okay," I said at last. He turned to the spotted pattern on one of the pillars outside of the throne room, where there was a small place hollowed out for a candle. He pulled up until it fit into the hollow indention above it, and the entire section of the wall slid away.

"Well." He looked at me expectantly. "You can go in first."

I made a face as I realized he intended to listen to their conversation as well, but resigned myself to that face. After all, he had shown this to me. And if he tried anything funny, Luke had taught me enough self defense to serious injure him. I stepped into the dark place first, and I was surprised by how roomy it was. There was enough space between the two of us so that we weren't brushing shoulders. Just at eye level, there was a slant, which allowed me to see below, to the throne room.

Kronos and Rowan stared each other down, or rather, Kronos glared and Rowan stared at his feet, though her eyes were sharp as daggers. I could practically sense the malice stirring within the room, the internal fights happening in the two of them.

Finally, after minutes had lapsed by, Kronos walked behind her, toward his throne. I saw her back stiffen when he passed by, and she began to relax again when he suddenly turned on her, eyes furious. I started to gasp as Rowan was thrown against the wall from Kronos's sudden kick to her side.

"Shhh," Ethan hissed in my ear, putting a hand against my mouth. I bit it and he withdrew, glaring at me. From the opposite side of the room, Rowan whimpered in fear. A small trickle of blood started to blot at her mouth.

She wiped at her mouth, not taking her eyes away from Kronos. Her mouth opened to ask, "Why….,"

"Shut up!" he roared, so loudly that the magic lights flickered at his sudden volume. Rowan flinched, sitting up straight and throwing her hair back in a quick flick of her wrist. Despite the seriousness of the situation, I couldn't help feeling envy toward her. Even in grave danger, she still managed to look so good.

Rowan tracked his every movement with her eyes, not moving, not breathing. All the while, Kronos turned on his heel and paced the length of the room, every few seconds turning to fix his angry eyes on her.

"You," he said in a low voice, barely escaping trembling with emotion. Trembling with anger. "I always thought that you would cause me the most troubles. You nearly cost me a perfectly suited host because of your worries over Luke. And now, you've made me lose a perfectly good sacrifice to Gaea."

An icy finger trailed up my spine at the mention of the earth goddess, and for a second, I feel an unbelievable surge of relief that Nico had managed to escape. The relief was knocked out of me by the glare Rowan gave Kronos, a cool level look.

"If you knew it, then why keep me around?"

Kronos paused, not as though he were considering the question, but as though it should've been obvious.

"Luke had always liked you" he said after great length. "And you're ruthlessness is something to be admired, though that heart of yours overshadows your usefulness to me."

"I thank you for your compliment," she said, her voice like splintered glass. "But I don't remember having exhibited any ruthlessness. I've followed orders."

"I know all about you," Kronos threw back his head to laugh, and my skin crawled at how angry, how bitter it sounded. "You can hide this from everyone but not from me. I've been watching everything from the shadows."

Though I might've been imagining it, I thought I saw Rowan's face pale.

"What do you mean?" she asked, and her voice was steady even while her face was pinched, as though braced for a fight.

"I mean your father," he said, glaring down at her. "You didn't save him. You poisoned him."

She sucked her breath in, eyes wide and for the first time, I saw the fractured girl beneath the mask.

"Hecate gave me the potion," she said unsteadily. "I didn't know it would kill him. I loved my father; he was all I had left."

"Lies on top of more lies," Kronos said, and his voice was a whisper now. He circled around Rowan, who's clenched fists were all that showed of her anger, her fury. "You're good at that, you know. Lying. And killing."

"What's he talking about?" I asked in a whisper, though I received no answer. I remembered, vaguely, about Annabeth or someone telling me about Rowan's quest to save her father after he'd summoned up a monster.

"You knew perfectly well that wasn't all. You may have had the intentions to save him at first, but what your friends never saw was how he scorned you. They never knew that it was him that threw you out into the street, how he'd attempted to kill you to get Hecate back. You fed it to him by your own hands, and watched him die."

"I never meant to," she whispered, her voice breaking on the last syllable. I watched it happen with something close to fascination. Rowan was the strongest person I knew, much stronger than me, and in the time of only a few minutes, she'd been reduced to a near crying little girl. I felt a stab at my heart, and a sudden rush of sympathy.

"Mmmm…yes, funny how things happen, isn't it?" Kronos said, his tone clipped. "You hadn't intentionally killed your father, but you intentionally let the boy go, didn't you?"

Rowan didn't answer, perhaps realizing that he wanted her to confess so he could punish her. I held my breath, waiting for her to admit it, but she only pinched her lips together.

"Didn't you?" he asked again, though I could hear the danger lurking behind his words. Sweat beaded upon Rowan's brow, but she kept silent.

"Answer me!" Kronos roared, and what happened next was too quick for me to track with my eyes. All I saw was the blur of something moving, the figure that collided against the wall, and Rowan's crumbled figure on the ground. I gasped, and Ethan didn't do anything this time. His face was as pale as mine probably was. He watched Rowan stagger back to her feet with a look close to fear.

"Yes," she finally ground out. "I did."

"I know you did," Kronos said, a little calmer now. There was a fiendish glow in his eyes that promised great pain. "Don't worry, your punishment will be well suited for your treachery."

"Punishment?" she echoed.

"Did you really think that I'd let you go after you did this?" he flung a hand out in a wide gesture. "No, the demigods have gotten restless, rebelling against every order given to them. I need to make an example out of someone. Who better than the very person who sparked that rebellion?"

"I did no such thing," she whispered.

"Not you. I speak of Jamie." His words made me freeze. Rowan gasped, her eyes wide with either fear or confusion. Ice started to spread in my chest, numbing my entire body.

"Jamie…," Rowan said with her eyebrows drown together. "She couldn't have gotten them to rebel that easily. She's too much of a child to spark rebellion."

Child.

I winced at the word, and felt anger at her, briefly.

"She doesn't realize it herself," Kronos said, his voice as casual as if he were talking about the weather. "But she's always talking about Camp Half Blood and how much she misses her friends and it's stirred some uneasy feeling among the others."

"She's just a child," Rowan repeated numbly. "She doesn't know what she's talking about."

"She joined me to save her friends," Kronos said, almost as though he were giving a lecture. "She didn't join me because she supported my cause, and I can't guarantee that she'll fight when the time comes. Normally, I would've let it go but her talk about camp is affecting my soldiers. I won't have it."

I stared down, blushing. Yes, I missed my friends terribly but had it become so obvious that everyone knew? Was I making these people turn their backs on Kronos because of my words? Did I really sound as pathetic as Rowan made me out to be?

"And what does she have to do with me?" Rowan asked.  
"Oh…," Kronos deliberated, staring at her with hard eyes. "That depends on how much your loyalty to me has shifted."

"It hasn't," she said after a second.  
"Really?" he gave her an amused stare. "You almost attack me, accuse me and now you're saying you're still loyal?"

"It's not in my nature to follow orders blindly," she said bleakly. Her shoulders rolled back in preparation. "What would you have me do to prove it?"

"Kill her."

"What?" she choked out. I couldn't near that well anymore. My ears were ringing with the promise of my death hanging in the air. "Why?"

"I already told you," he said, seeming amused by her reactions.

"She's your daughter," Rowan said, her voice trembling ever so slightly. "You went through a lot to get her on your side. Why try to kill her now?"

"She's not following my orders. She won't renounce the gods. If she's not with me, she's against me. She's not a good solder as I hoped, nor is she particularly brave. She won't be to badly missed."

"You would let me kill your daughter?" Rowan asked again.

"Do you know how many of my children I've had killed?" he smiled, though it didn't touch his eyes. "Demigods and gods alike. One more won't make a difference."

He started to push past her, and she let him, her eyes vacant. Once he was level with her, he grabbed her chin so she was staring at him. Her lips parted in surprise.

"If you won't do it, it's her life for yours," he whispered. He straightened. "And I would hate to lose someone like you."

"Someone like me?' she repeated. Something flashed in his eyes briefly, and before I could blink, he cupped her face in his hands and bent down to kiss her. I froze, watching Rowan's eyes widen at his unexpected touch. Her stiff form lasted only a second before she responded, somewhat hesitantly. He straightened abruptly, making her gasp and stumble, her hand still on his shirt.

"Yes, someone like you," he said. His fingers lingered on her cheek. I wondered it if was an act on his part, playing on her adoration of Luke and her loyalty to Kronos. "I would hate to lose you just because of Jamie."

When he left, it was as though he'd sucked the air out of the room. I gasped, stumbling while Ethan just stared at me in shock. Rowan still stood in the middle of the room, fingers pressed against her lips.

Her eyes darkened.

"Yes." she said to nothing, and turned. As she did, I swore her eyes locked on mine before she left the room, eager to execute me.

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**A/N: I know, it was a little weird. But I felt compelled to do so! Was it really weird?**

**I apologize for the long delay, but I hope the chapter was worth it.**

**And just because I wanted to: Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!**


	10. Help From Unlikely Places

**This chapter is a little shorter than the others, but I hope it's as good as the others.**

**I do not own Percy Jackson.**

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I didn't meet Ethan's searching gaze as I turned and stumbled away from there. I don't remember going down the long hallway with its flickering lamps, don't see the demigods who glanced at me in surprise. I barely feel the bed beneath me as I near collapse on it. Only after that do I realize where I came from. Even now, just thinking about it, I felt a cold chill sweep through me.

I wasn't sure how I felt about Kronos kissing Rowan. It was creepy, but then again, the dating ritual of gods wasn't something I concerned myself with. No, it was the fact that Rowan had returned the kiss, that she was willing to kill me to prove herself to Kronos that made me worried. Would she creep up to slice my throat? Poison me during dinner?

"Ugh." I groaned, hands tangling in my hand in anger. Between me and her, I knew she was better than I was. Stronger than I was, smarter. I couldn't beat her, and I knew that. It made my skin prickle just thinking about it.

After a few more minutes spent sulking, I realized that tears had ran down my face, silently. They collected on my cupped hands on my lap and once I'd realized that, I couldn't stop crying.

Was I really so pathetic, I wondered, that Kronos would really want me gone after all the work he had done to get me on his side? And what was all the talk I had heard about him making the demigods have a change of heart? Would it be my fault that they were killed as well? My heart swelled up at the thought, and it brought a fresh batch of tears fueled by guilt.

Someone knocked on my door, making me jump in surprise. My heart jumped in my throat. What if it was Rowan? I couldn't bear the thought of having to fight her now…I was too much of a mess…

"It's me," Ethan said, almost reluctantly. The relief I felt nearly choked me. "Can I come in?"

I knew something was wrong. Ethan was never polite to me, mocking at times, but never polite. I slid off my bed, smoothing down my shirt and opened the door. His one eye was serious, his mouth jammed into a snarl. It scared me enough to take a step back.

"What-," I started to say, but he shook his head, shoving past me into my room.

"We need to talk," he said.

I felt slight irritation about his mood, but his tense posture made me slightly curious. I shut the door and gestured for him to sit down on one of the chairs shoved against the wall. He didn't take it. Instead, he paced back and forth, snarling under his breath. I sat on my bed, drawing my pillow toward me. After a few minutes of him doing this, I lost my patience.

"If you wear a path in my nice carpet, I'll make you pay for it," I threatened. It made him look up in shock. "You came in here as though a monster was chasing you and now you're not saying anything. Are you going to tell me what we need to talk about or do I have to toss you out of my room?"

"Touchy," Ethan said, making me scowl. I was wound up tighter thane ever, the thought of Rowan looming overhead. "Okay, fine. But be warned that it will only make you even more terrified."

"I don't think I can be anymore terrified," I muttered.

When I saw his face, though, it made me falter in my next words. The fear in them, the intensity of me made me gasp despite myself.

"Don't be so sure," he said. He settled back down on a chair, looking as though he'd aged since coming in.

"What is it?" I asked in a small voice.

"Okay, so after you left, I stayed and followed Rowan," he said, making me blink in surprise. How could he not have gotten caught?

"And she didn't see you?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I borrowed something from one of the demigods, allowed me to be invisible. Anyway, she went back to her room, and there wasn't much I could do about that. So, I stayed outside, and a few minutes later, Kronos came back and asked her to come out."

I sucked in a deep breath at that. His eye flickered to me, dark with intensity.

"They talked right in front of me. Kronos gave her something. It was wrapped up, and Rowan asked what it was. Kronos said it was a way to kill you."

He paused as I choked on my own breath. He waited for my coughing hack to reside. Once it passed, I felt icy terror grab hold of me.

"Rowan asked him why she couldn't just use her whip, and he said because the weapon he gave her wouldn't just kill you, it would eat you away until not even your soul was alive, so there was nothing to go to the afterlife with. It would eat away at your soul without damaging your body at first, and then it would eat at your flesh-,"

"Stop it!" I screamed. "Stop it!"

I was on my feet before I realized what was happening. My entire body was trembling, and I felt cold. I shivered, trying desperately to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. Ethan's face was momentarily puzzled.

"Jamie, what-,"

"Don't," I said, my voice quivering. "Don't talk for a second. Please."

He nodded, crossing his legs while I paced the room, trying to control my breathing. I'd known that she would try to kill me, but I hadn't known the specifics. And now that I knew…it made me even more horrified. I swallowed several times before settling back down on my bed, light-headed.

"Then what happened?" I asked faintly.

"She didn't say anything else," Ethan said, shrugging. "She just accepted it. And then…,"

"Then they kissed?' I finished for him.

He made a face, and I realized that there was a look of jealousy in his face. I gasped, sitting upright.

"You…," my voice didn't work for a few seconds, but I pushed on. "You like Rowan, don't you?"

His eye flashed to me. "I don't-,"

"Don't lie to me," I said. "I know that you do. That look on your face a few seconds ago."

Ethan was quiet for a few seconds. Then, he said, "Yes. I've liked Rowan for some time now. She helped me when my mom took away my eye, and she's the only one that ever bothers to stand up for the rest of us when the Titans decide to pick on us. She's fearless and…I guess it made me attracted to her."

"But she liked Luke," I said, understanding flashing within me. "That's why you never liked him. That's why you looked somewhat happy when Kronos took over his body. Because you thought you had a chance now but then-,"

"But then Kronos happened," he finished, his voice bitter. "And she won't let him go."

I wished I knew what else to say, but what could I say? Rowan had made it clear that she loved Luke, and I didn't think that she'd like Ethan just because Luke was gone. The impossible love triangle between the three made my heart break.

"Don't say anything," Ethan said to me. "I don't want to hear your pity."

I hadn't even realized that my mouth was open to say something, but I shut it, nodding. For a few seconds , I floundered around in my head, trying to figure out what to say.

"What was the weapon, do you know?" I asked.

He swallowed. "Yeah, it's a black dagger."

"Well, I don't know what-,"

"It was enchanted," Ethan said. "I've been around Hecate and Rowan long enough to know magic when I see it and it was dripping with magic. I think it was honed into your blood. Kronos has something planned. I'm just not sure what."

I paled ."Well, I…..,"

"Then there's more," he continued. "Rowan went back to her room. For a second, Kronos stood in the same spot, then he looked right at the place where I was standing and he said, 'Be sure to tell my daughter what's coming for her'. Then he went into her room, and after a few minutes, I ran away to tell you."

A cold pit formed in my stomach, though it was because of what Ethan had said or the unspoken reason Kronos stayed with Rowan, I didn't know. Kronos could see through the magic that allowed Ethan to stay invisible.

"He didn't kill you?" I found my voice again.

"No, and that made it worst. I don't know if he let me hear that so I would tell you or what. But if I were you, I'd be careful."

"I figured as much," I said, my heart hammering in my chest.

Ethan shrugged, fingering the pattern on the chair for a little. Then, he stood up and headed for the door without bothering to say goodbye. I didn't care that much, because the second he left, I collapsed on my bed.

I wished I could say it was because of fear, but it wasn't. It wasn't about Rowan at all. It was more about Kronos's betrayal. How strange it was to think that he actually cared about me at all. No, I was just a weapon that he could use and discard when he didn't need me anymore.

A small sob escaped from my lips, before it was cut off by a suffocating feeling of drowsiness. I hadn't realized how tired I was until I was fighting to keep my eyes open. I allowed myself to succumb to the heavy feeling…..

I didn't even realize I was asleep until I was dreaming.

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_Nico P.O.V_

After Percy had explained how Camp Half Blood had been divided down the middle, the only thing Nico could do was sit down in the infirmary and stare at the bed dejectedly. Apparently, his injuries were bad enough that he couldn't leave, and besides, some of the healers wanted to figure out who had placed a mind barrier in him. So far, nobody was having any luck, but that didn't stop them from annoying him.

Whatever.

The most annoying thing of all this was the fact that the only thing he could think about was the look on Jamie's face as she left. It had been a look of total heartbreak, like the world was crumbling at her feet. If Nico had been a nicer person, he would've felt bad, but he wasn't so he didn't. Much.

Nico glared at the wall as though it were the reason for his irritated mood. All it did was make the wall appear a little darker, though maybe it was because of his shadow.

Disgusted, Nico flopped back onto his pillow.

"In that good of a good, are you?" said a soft voice.

Nico sat up slowly, staring at the air in front of him, where a girl's voice had sounded. Instantly suspicious, Nico grabbed his sword. Normally, when ghosts found their way to him, it was either to complain about a problem they had or to kill him. Either way, he wasn't too thrilled.

"Show yourself," Nico demanded, trying to stand and finding that his legs wouldn't support him. "Who are you?"

"Have you forgotten me already, Nico?" The voice sounded so sad.

The air in front of him turned freezing cold, and then began shimmering. It was then that Nico got very suspicious, because when ghosts came, they just blinked into existence. When the girl's face appeared, he tried very hard not to drop his weapon as he stared in disbelief.

"Bianca?" he said, his voice cracking.

"Nico, you've gotten so big," her voice said sadly. "You're taller than me now."

Bianca's face slowly appeared, her dark hair, sad eyes. She floated in front of him, trying for a smile but it kept breaking apart.

"You….," Nico's voice quivered. "You never came when I tried to summon you. You wouldn't come when I summoned you. Why-,"

She sighed sadly. "Nico, I'm sorry. But I thought if I kept coming when you called on me, you'd never let me go and move on. I thought I was protecting you."

"Then who summoned you this time?" Nico said, anger cooling into disbelief. "I know that's not the way spirits usually cross over, especially one who went to Elysium."

"I was summoned," she said, her lips twisting, "By a powerful demigod. They told me to come here to talk to you."

"Who?" Nico's voice cracked.

"I can't tell you, I'm sorry," she said. "Maybe after the war, you can figure it out. But this person's been on your side from the beginning, even if you're on opposite sides."

"Someone from Kronos's army summoned you to talk to me?" Nico said in disbelief.

Bianca nodded. "I'm not saying you have to trust them, but at least listen to me. I don't have a long time here, otherwises Hades will know I'm missing."

Nico's lips went white. "You mean he doesn't know you're here?"

She shook her head. "This demigod…this demigod is really powerful, almost too powerful to be born to a minor….but even the most powerful of demigods have a time limit. And I think my time limit for being here is fifteen minutes."

"What's so important, then?" Nico asked, resigned.

She almost smiled. "I'm here to tell you about some of the things that are going on in the enemy camp, but you can't tell anybody, or else Jamie will end up getting killed."

"What do I care if she gets killed?"

"I know you better than that, Nico. And her life is being threatened right now."

"What?" Nico said, his eyes wide. "But she's Kronos's daughter!"

"Do you really think he's going to care?" she asked gently. "Jamie's rebelling, Nico, she's not happy there. Kronos has hired somebody to kill her, and it'll happen tonight."

Nico's tongue went dry. "Tonight?" he asked hoarsely.

Bianca nodded. "There's a chance that she'll survive…and this is where I'm supposed to see if it would be a good idea for Jamie to be spared."

"What are you talking about?" Nico asked.

"If Jamie survives," Bianca said, "She'll be exiled from the camp. She'll have no choice but to seek refuge by herself, and she'll attract a lot of monsters. Even if she survives, she'll be dead before Kronos strikes, in a week's time."

"A week," Nico said hoarsely. "The day of Percy's birthday."

"A few days before, actually, but the fight will be decided on his birthday, yes."

"But what bout Jamie?" Nico interrupted.

Bianca's eyes went unfocused, like they usually did when she was thinking. "If she survives and makes it out of there alive, where will she go, Nico? She has enemies on both sides. She'll be killed by one side or another. Where can she go?"

Understanding blazed. "You want her to come here? To Camp Half Blood?"

Bianca sucked in a breath. "This is why you can't tell anyone," she said. "Except maybe Percy. Otherwise, she would be in danger again. I can guide her as far as New York, but once she gets here, I can't penetrate Camp Half Blood's defenses again. She'll be on her own. If you aren't here to help her, she's as good as dead."

"She…," Nico didn't know what to say. "She broke my heart. She betrayed us."

"I know," Bianca said ."But I hope you have an answer. If she makes it, she'll be here in the next two or three days. Think hard, Nico. If you don't want her here, then at least kill her swiftly."

"I…..,"

"Now, I have to go," she said sadly. "I'm sorry this is happening to you, Nico, but you're …."

"Her only hope?" he finished.

"Horribly cheesy, I know, but yes," she smiled as her face began to disappear. "Good bye, Nico."

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**A/N: It's been such a long time since I've updated, but I hope that this chapter more than makes up for it. I'll have the next chapter posted as soon as I can/ Now that school's over, I can update more regularly.**

**Review, please, and tell me what you think.**


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